Honnis soit qui mal y pense
by Myley
Summary: The plan was simple enough: Kol had to watch him from a distance and wait for his brother's order. He was not supposed to befriend him, nor was he supposed to feel all those stupid emotions. And when his target was to know of his true identity, Kol was definitely not supposed to care. Slash Kol/Jeremy.
1. I

**Hey guys ! This is my first The Vampire Diaries fanfiction thus this is a bit of an experiment. I checked the fandom for cool Kol/Jeremy stories and was shocked to discover how scarce it was. Come on this ship has so much potential ! And yeah, Jeremy makes a great gay character in my opinion, so does Kol (I don't know why, I can see Kol's character being gay in the show, which will probably not be the case as per usual.)**

**So I decided to write my own Kolremy story ! Let me tell you right away that I absolutely despise most female characters of the show such as Elena and Bonnie as well as most official couples, with the exceptions of Tyler/Caroline and Anna/Jeremy (and probably Matt/Rebekah). I hate Delena, Stelena (I hate Elena to begin with so no surprise here) and all the other -Ena couples so Elena will most likely be portrayed under a bad light in this story.  
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**Once again, I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes, I am the most absent-minded person in the world and I have the bad habit of not rereading my stories (not as much as I should anyway) so if I am unreadable, pray tell me, please.  
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**Enough with my babbling, here comes the first chapter. I hope you will like it.  
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**Oh by the way, concerning the title, it's in old French, it means "Be curse the one with ill intentions" (sorry I suck at translating old French into English). I wanted to give this story an English title, but that French maxim was the first thing that came into mind. Besides, it's crazy how fitting it is !  
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**Cheers !  
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I.

When Nick assigned him the Denver mission, his first reflex was to tell him to piss off. He hated to be used, especially if it was to please his bastard of a brother who had let him to desiccate in a casket for more than one hundred years.

However, Klaus could be very persuasive when he wanted : "W_hen I'm done with the little Doppelganger, he will be all yours ! You'll be able to do whatever you want to him ! No limit !" _he had said with a dirty smile. He knew his brother had be shut in a box for a century with no human, no entertainment, no one to hunt down and torment. _"You will have a whole city full of humans just for yourself, Kol ! Think about it ! Thousands of humans for you and the Doppelganger's brother in the end ! That's a generous offer !"_ And Kol had to agree that it was. While pouting, he took the flight to Denver just after having Klaus sign a paper that gave him full ownership of Jeremy Gilbert if his sister was to die - or rather, _when_ she would.

And there he was, on a high school parking lot, waiting for a sixteen year old human boy to make his entrance. He was bored already. Besides, being on duty forced him to ignore all the tasty humans that walked by him which was highly unacceptable. That stupid boy had better be worth his time.

He waited for a couple of hours, hidden behind a tree at the edge of the lot. Nick had gotten him a picture of his target so that he could recognize him with ease. He had to admit the boy did not look so bad. Eventually, after a lifetime of wait and boredom, the bell rang and masses of humans rushed out the doors, eager to get back to their vehicles to go wherever humans went nowadays. The deafening noise of banters, shouts and chuckles made Kol grimace ; how could people be so loud ? He fought the urge to charge in and snap everything he could grab. Instead, he focused on the target. After two minutes of intense visual search, he spotted him.

Tall – taller than him even. Bulky body and boyish face – an odd combination. Messy chestnut hair. Brown eyes. Dressed as if he wanted to merge into the crowd – a very distasteful blue hoodie and large jeans. There was nothing special about this boy apart from the fact that he definitely looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there – to which Kol could gladly sympathize – and a beautiful mouth. Not that this detail would influence his mission whatsoever but when you were deprived of beautiful boys for the last century you tended to be very observant.

The boy took out an iPod and walked away. The mission was on.

After two weeks of mere watching, Kol learned a few things. He learned that the boy – Jeremy, he recalled – was indeed not a people person. Most of the time, he would lean against something – a car, the bark of a tree, a wall – and listen to music or read some stuff on his phone. He was a bore. Once in a while though he talked to human beings only to share the minimum - "Hey, how you doing ?" "Fine, and you ?" "Fine" - Wicked. Kol also learned that he lived with two dumber than dumb humans, Peter and a female whose name he could never remember, was it Charlotte, or maybe Alice, or Anna. He did not know, he did not care. When that Doppelganger bitch was dead he would rip them apart so tired that he was to have to hear about their mundane routine every sodding day. Their work, their friends, what to cook for dinner, what to watch on TV. More than a month of that and he would go nuts – not that he was not already, nuts.

It was nighttime and the boy – Jeremy – was in his room sleeping like a baby. Kol sat outside on a fallen bark, awfully bored. He was starving and had not been able to kill for more than a day. Truth be told, he was itching to massacre something, to have his ways with a human and feel the sweet and warm liquid quench his burning throat. His idiotic brothers had tried to accustom him to frozen blood in bags, no thank you ! He was a vampire, not a lamb with pared fangs. Making sure the boy – Jeremy – was still asleep he left the house in search of a nice human to nibble on.

His stroll led him to a shabby bar in the nasty neighborhoods of the city. The place positively stank of smoke and sweat but he payed no heed to it, he just wanted a quick snack. Loud dance music exploded in the speakers and conveyed a very unpleasant ambiance to the packed room. He ordered a scotch at the counter. Most customers were already drunk or high. The snack would not be of very good quality. A glance at his watch told him it was two thirty in the morning. He still had time to get full of booze and blood. A young woman sat on the stool beside him. With his perfectly ironed white shirt and black jacket he knew he gave quite the show. Not to mention his obvious good looks. Kol smirked, even after a whole century of darkness and confinement he still had the same lecherous power over his preys. He would lie if he denied being proud of himself. He actually was quite full of himself.

The woman seemed to share his opinion as he slammed her on the wall in the backyard and roughly ripped her jugular open. He almost had to repress a moan when he felt her warm blood rush into his eager mouth. Usually, his natural inclination would have him prefer a male, but tonight he was too thirsty to be picky. He let go of the lifeless body, drops of blood trickling down his chin. He sighed, feeling almost content. He just needed to get laid and when sex was concerned he _always _was picky.

Six bodies and fifteen shots of scotch later he made his way back to the boy's – Jeremy's – current place. Dawn was nearing and the sounds coming from inside the house told him its inhabitants were already awaken. Within his two weeks of observation, he noticed that the boy – Jeremy – always woke at six, except for the week ends when he lingered in bed until noon. He would then take a shower for ten to fifteen minutes, get dressed into his usual distasteful clothes, go down the stairs into the kitchen, greet his two dumber than dumb humans, and have cereal with milk as a breakfast – what a crude meal, Kol thought, chemical frozen oat flakes roughly painted in brown which melted into chemical frozen milk to create a most unappealing yellow purée. It was almost as crude as drinking those disgusting blood bags. The boy always put the box on the table just in front of him so he could read it while sustaining. Kol truly wondered what could be so damn interesting in deciphering the very same box every single morning. Twenty first century humans were the strangest, he decided. Or maybe was that particular human mentally deficient. He did not know, did not understand, did not care – he was just intrigued, after all his mission was so boring he had to find entertainment wherever he could.

School started at eight o' clock. The boy – Jeremy – either walked (when he felt like walking for half an hour) or took his car to arrive on the lot at seven forty five-ish. He always parked at the same spot, between a blue trunk and regular red vehicle.

Thanks to the very cooperative Lady of the counselor office, he had managed to get a copy of the boy' schedule and thus knew with perfect accuracy what class he had and when. To spend six hours waiting for him was probably the worst part of the day.

His pocket phone vibrated : _"Nothing new, keep on the watching. Nik"_

He sighed. That Doppelganger really loved being wanted. And considering the amount of dedication those two Salvatore fools put into protecting her, he would have to wait for a very long time.

He tried to pass the time looking at the humans around and imagining creative ways to torture every single one of them. And Kol could be quite creative. He spotted a teenager boy, maybe fifteen or a bit older, sat on the grass laughing with a group of three humans. He had short brown hair and a very attractive face. He looked quite delicious.

Kol cast a quick glance at the school, the target was safe and sound inside the building, listening to his math teacher. The vampire could take a small break. Besides he absolutely needed to have some fun if he did not want to go south and risk endangering the course of his mission.

He walked toward the group, a big smile widening his mouth.

"Hello there !"

The three eyed him suspiciously. Wasting no time, he compelled the first two into remaining silent and unmoving. As for his prey, he smirked and looked straight into his frown gaze.

"What are you doing ?" the guy asked, visibly taken aback by his odd behavior.

"You and I are gonna have a good time together. You are going to follow me without any struggle and do exactly as I say."

He then turned his attention onto the others : "You will not remember me nor the fact your friend here disappeared. You haven't seen him today. You were just hanging out only the two of you."

All nodded and Kol smiled, satisfied.

Kol and the boy checked in a very common hotel room ; the room mainly consisted of a double bed with an end-table on each side, a dresser, a TV set and a chair. It was common but good enough for what use Kol wanted to make of that room. The boy probably had never been with another male before but Kol could not care less. He had missed it so bad, that sensation of skin against skin. It was the greatest of addictions. He ripped the boy of his clothes and began to leave open mouth kisses on every parcel of bare skin he could reach. Being under compulsion, the boy responded positively to his caresses and arched for more. Kol smirked against his bare shoulder. That was one of the reasons why he always compelled his lovers when he had to, mainly because a forced intercourse was far less pleasant. The prey would struggle and scream and beg and Kol absolutely loathed fearful screams during sex. Begging annoyed him as well. A willing and pliant body felt so much better. And the boy was more than willing. This was going to be amazing.

Being naturally attracted to men had always been a kind of a problem in the past as homosexuality was highly frowned upon. Nowadays, Kol learned it was almost a trend which made things drastically easier as well as reduced the use of compulsion a lot more.

He ravaged the boy's body for approximately thirty more minutes, not caring in the least that his violent thrusts hurt the fragile human body. When he felt on the edge of completion, he harshly punctured the throbbing artery in his neck and moaned in pure pleasure as the blood flooded into his throat. He came inside the boy while draining him dry. He let his head fall onto the boy' shoulder, feeling full and content.

He was back at his usual spot on the parking lot just when the bell rang the end of the day. His target was among the first to be out. Music in ears, hands in pocket and hooded head, he shuffled to his car. As he was about to put the key into the lock, a boy called after him.

"Hey, Gilbert !"

The boy had dirty blond hair and was dressed as if he planned to win Mister Stud conquest. Kol rolled his eyes. Humans could be so pathetic.

Jeremy raised his eyebrows. Mister Stud handed him a paper which Kol, from his position, was unable to read.

"I'm throwing a party at my place tonight. Come, everybody will be there. You shouldn't remain on your own, buddy ! Join us, it'll be fun !"

Kol scowled. Couldn't this guy mind his own fucking business ?! If the boy – Jeremy – wanted to remain alone, be that way ! Besides, it made the watching easier for Kol who did not have to constantly go from one place to another.

The target mumbled a few inaudible words Kol was unable to understand – was that boy a retard ? From his lack of friends he ought to be. However, the movement of his head indicated him that he had probably given a positive answer. Won-der-ful ! Kol did not quite know if the prospect of attending a human party in the shadows pleased him or annoyed him. There would be alcohol – therefore easy preys – and probably loads of sexually frustrated teenagers – therefore easy horny preys. After careful consideration, Kol – who was so bored – decided this party looked more and more like a most promising event.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

The place was packed with hormonal teenagers looking for a way to make their miserable existence a bit more worthwhile. Utterly pathetic. As per usual, music was too loud to be appreciated – if rap music could ever be appreciated that is – and beer flowed freely. Girls were dressed like prostitutes and boys eyed them with the look of a child who wanted a candy without knowing how to reach the shelf. It was pathetic. Kol sighed, desperate. He had arrived at the same time as Jeremy who was having a beer while listening to the banter of a girl. He looked as much as bored as Kol. Poor boy.

After an hour of idle observation, Kol decided to make the most of the night. There were at least a hundred kids, he would easily merge into the masses – even if he was the most handsome male at the party, and by far. Girls smiled lecherously at him, boys were a tad more timid. However, he did spot one, keeping himself apart in the backyard, probably enjoying the night sky. Kol could not believe his luck.

"Nice night, isn't it ?" Kol started, a plastic glass of cheap beer in the hand.

The boy turned to look at him : "Aye, it is."

There was a short moment of silence before the boy spoke again : "British ?"

Kol raised an eyebrow : "British alright ! You don't sound American yourself !"

"No I'm Canadian."

There was silence again. The boy cast him quick glances and from the glow in his eyes, he looked to find Kol quite to his liking. The vampire smirked. No, he could really not believe his luck. Compulsion would even not be needed.

"I'm Jared" said the Canadian boy, extending his hand

"Kol, with a K" replied the vampire, taking the offered hand and shaking it gently. The boy was good enough to eat, Kol did not want to damage him yet.

Half an hour later, Kol and Jared were locked inside the bathroom and making out against the door. Too thirsty to wait, Kol bit into his neck while his hand skimmed the fabric of his boxers.

As he was drinking his content of warm crimson liquid, a detail crashed back into his mind : the mission. Jeremy knew about vampires and was constantly drinking vervain in his morning coffee – an old anti-vampire self-preservation reflex he assumed – which meant that he could never be compelled. Not without a fight anyway and Kol's orders were strict : he was not to touch nor hurt the boy in any way as long as the Doppelganger needed not a warning. That definitely sucked. If Kol left a body here, the boy – Jeremy – could come to know of it – direct witness, gossips. Yet, if the boy was to know, suspicion could arise. If he became suspicious, he could call his stupid sister who then would call those Salvatore suitors who then would call his brother who then would call him. And if Niklaus called Kol it would mean Kol had failed his mission and he would be in trouble. And as strong as he was, he did not have the ability to compel a hundred persons. Therefore, draining that human was out of the question. With an angry growl, Kol released the weakened boy. He angrily bit into his wrist and shoved it against the boy's mouth in order to erase all traces of biting. What a waste ! To drink blood only to give it back afterward ! He should have known better. He was supposed to observe not participate.

Unnerved, Kol watched the wound heal until the skin was back to its original clean state.

"You will not remember me, nor what happened in this room. You will go straight back home. And don't remove your jacket. Understood ?"

The boy nodded absently. Kol roughly washed the blood off his face and opened the door. He was absolutely mad. He needed to kill someone as soon as possible. That stupid mission could go to Hell, he was not famous for his self control and this was getting on his nerves. All that Masquerade for the sole sake of a stupid human girl. He really did not understand why Nik would not take away the girl already. If he was as powerful as he claimed to be, if he needed his precious hybrids as he claimed to do, a bunch of love-sick knights posed no threat to him. And yet, there he was, negotiating with two new born and a human and drawing ponies to a brainless blond bitch. His brother was a fool. A hopeless romantic, schizophrenic fool.

Kol shook his head. He had to go out of here. Then he would call Nick to tell him to piss off just like he should have in the first place. His brother would probably yell and threaten him with his beloved daggers - Nik definitely had a thing for his daggers - but Kol did not care. He had not been freed from a box to play doggie with the very one brother who had put him in the very said box.

Phone ready in hand, he walked out of the house, determined ; so determined indeed that he was not looking in front of him. His shoulder collided with another shoulder. He was about to tear its owner off when he heard his voice.

"Hey watch out !"

He looked up.

The target.

The target was just before him, looking at him, speaking to him with that pretty face of his. Kol's orders were strict : he had to remain at a distance, never making his presence known. Nik had been very strict concerning his discretion. Those were the rules and rules were sacred.

So sacred indeed that Kol felt a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He was mad but not to the point of creating a tantrum that would send him straight into a casket for the next up coming century. However, he had just found the perfect opportunity to screw with Nik's plan just a tiny little bit. Just to annoy his brother without endangering the mission - not that much anyway.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking" he said, thrilled to be breaking Niklaus' precious rules.

"It's alright. Happens to me all the time. Were you leaving ?"

"Uhm, yeah, I guess so. I'm all partied out ! Plus there was too much people for my liking." The boy was a loner, better give the rights arguments.

"Tell me about it !" Bingo.

They remained silent a short while until the target extended his hand, much to Kol's inner surprise.

"I'm Jeremy Gilbert."

Kol smiled and shook the hand before him.

"I'm Kol, with a K."

Screw you Nik.

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**Ahem, to be continued !**


	2. II

**Second chapter on the row ! I am very grateful for all the persons who read, favored or/and follow this story. It feels great !**

**I would like to personally thank the anonymous guest who left me a review, thank you very much.**

**SkellingtonPaws7 : too bad I cannot use the MP system to reply, so thank you for your nice comment. Just like you, I cannot understand why this pairing has so little popularity. I mean we do not know what happened in Denver between those two, it lets a lot of room to imagination ! It is basically an officially given background for a homosexual storyline. But this fandom does not seem quite into slash I'm afraid. Too many drooling prepubescent fangirls. It's all about Delena and Mary-Sues. I take it as a personal mission to fill the fandom in slash stories ! I really hope you will like this new chapter anyway.**

**Now a bit of babbling. My biggest challenge for this story is to write a "romance" without ruining Kol's persona. To be perfectly honest, Kol is probably the last character I can imagine being "in love" and I wish to avoid a sappy love story at all cost. This would not be Kol. So : no sappy Kol. No fluffiness. On the other hand I want his feelings for Jeremy to be real while still being in character. Their relationship will probably be a sort of unhealthy relationship, a mix of repulsion and attraction. I hope I will not entangle myself in this mess. I also wish to roughly follow the official storyline. I'll see to it.**

**Besides, I was mortified to see the popularity of the awful Kol/Bonnie pairing. This couple truly is atrocious ! Please, producers, do not do that. Pair Bonnie with a ferret, I could not care less, but please, spare us the shame. It seems they are ready to pair everyone with everything just as long as they avoid gay couples. I know one of the producers wanted one (probably Tyler/Jeremy) but the amount of scandalized fangirls discouraged them and we got the atrocious Bonnie/Jeremy instead (as well as Caroline/Tyler, but I like them). I read on some forums girls stating that if Kol turned out to be gay (which I hope) they would be so depressed as they would no longer be able to fantasize over him (same goes with Jeremy, Tyler or any other male character). I mean, how can people be so stupid ?! Is that even possible ? Gay or straight the character does NOT exist little girl. Him being straight is not making him more available to you (but Kol/Tyler making out with Jeremy most certainly adds a bonus to me). I was so pissed when I read that. In all honesty, if the producers do give us Kol/Bonnie I quit watching. I had to have watched Delena cooing like retards since the beginning of the show and there is just so much I can bear. Maybe when they will have exhausted all the possible Hetero combinations will they consider the other way (gay or lesbian I do not care, but this show needs something more, a variety. I mean, if it keeps going on they will give us Elena/Jeremy...)**

**Anyway, I stop my ramble here. Enjoy the second chapter !**

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II.

They had talked for about one hour much to Kol's astonishment. They chatted about the party, people, life (on very limited topics, of course). While being a pathetic human, the boy – Jeremy – was not completely dumb. He had a surprisingly good gift for conversation. Speaking to him had probably been one of Kol's best ideas of the month – and considering the little amount of time he had spent outside his box, as well as the number of great ideas he could have a day, this meant what it meant.

They had walked under the fresh night to the park. Then the boy – Jeremy – who did not live that far, bade him goodnight, arguing it was late and that he had to wake up the next morning to go to school but that it had been nice talking to him, to which Kol replied equally. The vampire had then watched the human retreat into the night, a dirty grin plastered on his face. This had been a very pleasant evening on the overall. The target even managed to diminish his anger for which he ought to be congratulated.

He already thought of speaking to him again, perhaps becoming his – how did they call it already ? Oh yes – _friend_. Kol did not have any friends. He needed none. Bodies were good suppliers of blood and holes which was enough to keep him satisfied. Not to forget the antics of his psychopathic family, providing entertainment galore. And when he added Rebekah's antics to a nice human donor, his life was Heaven on Madland. Jeremy did not appear quite the loner now that he personally knew him. The boy simply was lonely. He was actually desperate for friendship. Kol did not know if this was absolutely pathetic or a golden opportunity to manipulate him smoothly. Perhaps was it a bit of both.

He was back at his spot, near the house, elaborating a plan on how to handle the boy – Jeremy. How could he possibly meet him again without appearing suspicious ? To enroll in school was out of the question ; Kol's temper was too delicate to allow him to stay six hours enclosed with humans without risking a massacre of any sort. He needed time and space for his killing rampages. So, no school. He thought of joining an after class activity but that imbecilic human had not taken part in any. He just read and listened to music all the time, always on his own. De facto, he opted for Chance. If _by any chance_ he could meet the boy outside, perhaps could the boy think their second encounter was a matter of luck – or that he was being stalked by a lunatic, his choice. Kol sighed. This plan was hazardous but it was the only one he had ; all the others consisting of hardly honest methods which would most certainly require a certain dose of violence and blood spilling - and as appetizing as it sounded to Kol, he doubted the boy would share his opinion (which was a pity, really). _A meeting out of chance_ therefore was the only conceivable solution.

Hidden behind his tree (Hail, the trees !) he waited for the target to come out. It was a chilly day, the boy would most likely drive. It felt both strange and exciting to see him as usual just after speaking to him in person. His phone vibrated : _"Negotiations in process, I might need your assistance soon enough. Keep going according to plan for the moment, though."_ Kol grinned. He had not gone according to plan. He had broken the damn plan and Nik knew nothing of it. His grin widened. He felt restless, as if on a train speeding down a mountain. It was intoxicating. Kol could never get enough of it. He could not wait until he saw his brother's face when the boy – Jeremy – recognized him ! It would be priceless – and then he probably would be as dead as new but that small issue was to be dealt with later.

His mind wandered back to his plan. Once he met the boy again, what was he supposed to do exactly ? Talk to him ? Fuck him ? Bleed him ? Compel him ? Kill him ? (In no specific order) He was confused, social interactions did not partake of his field of expertise ; he usually hung out with dead (or soon-to-be-very-dead) humans which did not require much skill in socialization. Maybe should he call Rebekah ? She, after all, seemed to be quite the human expert with her getting involved with humans all the time; even more recently with that Matt fellow (his hands were so nice, though), including one she was ready to _marry _(had he not put a stake through her heart. The girl definitely had unquestionable tastes in men). He rolled his eyes at the memory. His poor sister, such the desperate girl. And such the hybrid's devotee he recalled. If he were to contact her, she would tell Nik right away. As for Elijah, he was way too absorbed into repenting and fawning over his Tatia number three to be of any valuable help.

No, Kol was on his own on this one.

Thus, Kol spent the three following days stalking, listening, thinking, elaborating, torturing, drinking and slaughtering. Yet, he still had no idea of how to organize that little "chance meeting". He could definitely not visit the boy in his room. This would be of very bad taste, nor could he just appear out of the blue. It would be odd. Sat on a bench in the nearby park, he put his head into his hands and pouted, unnerved and frustrated. His gaze swept across the area aimlessly in search of something, anything.

And he found nothing.

Just a poor girl on his way now ridden of her head and heart.

Another two days passed. Eleven humans were slaughtered out of Kol's anger and desperation. He hated it when his plan did not go as planned. He was smart, never made any mistake, so why could not his plan work ? And why – oh why – could not that stupid human go to more parties like every other normal teenager and give him occasions to actually meet him ? Except that this human was everything but normal, Kol reckoned.

He had followed him at the park and now waited while the boy was reading another damn book, sat on the grass in the shadow of a tree. Utterly boring. Kol decided to forget all about his resolutions of not appearing out of the blue and stood to meet the boy. He had had enough, too bad if it looked like he was stalking him. As he was about to walk the sixty-five feet which separated them, he heard the voice of that Peter dude and a dog barking.

He froze.

The two dumber than dumb humans were there indeed, accompanied by the most unlikely companion : a dog. Slightly taken aback – how dared those humans disturb his logic ? - he watched as Jeremy's mouth stretched into a big smile and trotted toward them.

"Look who's just come back to us!" Kol heard the woman say as he focused on their conversation. "Jeremy, this is Ernie!"

Jeremy looked absolutely delighted and stroked the animal's chin to greet him.

"Is he yours?" he asked, obvious eagerness in his voice

"No, one of our neighbor's. The poor woman is too old now. She has been sent to a retirement home. Ernie's going to stay with us for a while!"

Jeremy smiled some more.

Kol thought he looked quite delectable. Too bad he was not allowed to touch him yet. He just had to hope that Doppelganger would die soon enough. Oh, the things he would do to that body ! His fangs itched to expand and Kol had to repress his hunger.

So lost in thought as he was, he noticed not the dog's gaze lock on him until it was too late.

The barking snapped him back to reality. Stupid dog ! The target's eyes soon followed the path of the animal's to Kol's greatest demise.

Their eyes met.

Oh shit, shit, shit ! This was no good, no good at all ! He looked like an idiot, standing there like a dummy on his parcel of grass. What a majestic entrance ! What a clever way to put his brilliant plan in motion ! He had to act and fast. _Kill the dog. Kill the boy. Kill the humans. Kill everyone._ He could still use his speed but the damage was already done, the human had seen him already and disappearing into thin air was too... vampire-like ; the very aspect of Kol the boy had to remain oblivious about at all cost. And compulsion was inefficient (damn vervain coffee). He was fucked. He was indubitably, irrevocably _fucked_. Nik was going to have his head. He would not be able to see the next thousand years (unless Saint Elijah decided otherwise which was unlikely). Why had he have to always be so goddamn impulsive ?

Getting ready to tear the boy apart – no way would he leave this burning humiliation unscathed – he saw the soon-to-be-very-dismembered human walk to him a bit hesitantly – _yes boy, be hesitant. The more hesitant, the longer you'll live_ – his face distorted by a frown as if he were thinking very hard.

Kol braced himself for the up coming assault.

"Hey ! I remember you ! You're Kol, right ? The guy from the party ? I'm Jeremy Gilbert, we met the other night. I'm sorry if I'm confusing you with someone else but you look just like him !"

Kol's ears and brain needed a few seconds to assimilate the unexpected flood of words. Surprisingly enough, the boy did not look upset. He just looked... honestly surprised and friendly. What a weird breathing thing.

Kol quickly recomposed himself : "Hi ! Yeah, I do remember you ! I'm sorry if I was staring, was just trying to ponder if it was you or not !"

Okay, that did not sound creepy at all. If the boy bought it, he really was a dream prey for serial killers.

"Tis perfectly fine ! I didn't expect to meet you here ! Life's funny !"

Kol forced a smile.

Funny indeed. Yep, dream prey alright. He truly was too naïve to be true. Kol hesitated between laughing or crying out of despair. What kind of retard was this boy ?

"What are you doing here ?" the target continued, obviously genuinely delighted to see him.

"Enjoying the fresh air !" He paused for a second, searching for his words, "got a dog ?"

"Yeah, he's my friends'. His name is Ernie !"

Kol smiled his favorite fake smile.

They walked along, talking about their last past days. The boy talked about school, Kol replied he was still debating whether to go to College or not. They walked and talked and talked and walked until they stopped on a baseball field. Kol scanned their surroundings. The target took good notice of it.

"You play ?"

Kol snapped back to reality : "Mmh ? Oh no ! I'm Brit, remember ? That isn't quite the National game where I come from."

The boy – Jeremy – appraised him for a while.

"That's not very difficult. The rules are simple enough."

"I know nothing about that sport, I'm afraid."

There was a moment of silence until the target surprised Kol with his next words.

"Well, I could teach you if you want !"

Time seemed to have momentary frozen. The words hung in the air. Kol felt like God himself had cast a beam of sunlight on his humble person (even though he was not a believer). The boy was not that useless after all ! Completely stupid and pathetic, for sure. Desperate for friendship and dreadfully naïve indeed, but not useless. He had in fact just saved the day and found the perfect solution Kol had been looking for for days to no avail. Overjoyed to see his plan back into the picture, he smiled :

"I'd love that very much."

The boy – Jeremy – smiled back.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

Kol felt extremely lucky and satisfied ; so satisfied that he contented himself with solely draining two humans without ripping their heart out. He was not merciful very often. They ought to thank Jeremy for their (almost) painless death.

He smiled, bloody hands in pocket.

They had agreed on meeting next Saturday, which was two days away from then, on the very same baseball field so that the target – Jeremy – could begin his instruction. Truth be told, Kol did play baseball yet the prospect of playing as a human ruined everything. However this arrangement would give him the perfect opportunity to get closer to the boy and imagine in live all the ways he could play with him. That boy had a voice as nice as his mouth, Kol truly wondered what his screams sounded like.

He smiled. Life was good ! Now he just needed to get laid. That dude over the bar would do. The boy – Jeremy – was asleep anyway. It was time for a nice tasty break.

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**There you go messieurs dames. **

**I do hope I am giving Kol's character justice. I personally picture him as being very childish, immature and self-centered. As well as sadistic and insane. A perfect psychopath in short.  
**

**I hope you like him too. Next chapter, he finally really hang out with Jeremy ! There will be more interactions between the two !  
**


	3. III

**Alright, I had written a long monologue and that stupid website bugged and I lost everything I had written. So no introduction! **

**I'll just thank all the persons who read/favored/reviewed/followed that story and especially my anonymous guest for their support.  
**

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III.

Saturday arrived particularly fast.

When Kol entered the baseball field, the boy was already waiting for him. Kol grinned and walked over to the boy.

"Hey, mate!"

Jeremy' smile widened. "Hey!"

They exchanged smiles and shook hands. Kol took great care not to squeeze the delicate human hand too harshly. Humans were so fragile. They walked to the display of baseball accessories while making Smalltalk.

"How was the end of your week?" the boy asked.

"Boring!" Kol answered. In fact, he had been so excited about spending time with his prey that he hardly could think about anything else; never in a long time had he kill so carelessly.

"Wana start with the baseball thing now or do something else first?"

Kol's ears rang furiously and he stopped dead in his track, frozen in shock. His eyebrows arched up his forehead and his lips slightly parted in confusion. Had the boy really suggested what Kol's perverted mind understood? He cast a quick glance at the boy who was chewing on his bottom lip, head a bit tilted on the side, as would have done a very cute and very oblivious puppy. The comparison snapped the vampire out of his reverie. No, the boy was way too innocent to have been thinking about something so counter-innocent.

He smiled to the boy. However, from the way Jeremy's eyes widened, Kol realized that he had probably not put his predatory traits aside enough. He tried to soften his smile.

"Another time! Right now, I want to play this baseball game!"

The human seemed happy with his answer for he smiled a bright genuine smile.

"All right, then! Follow me!"

The exchange of smiles and gazes had actually lasted no more than mere seconds, yet to Kol they were a cruel reminder of how deep he had to be careful with the boy not to blow up his cover.

A minute passed during which they silently observed the display of bats. Finally, the boy – Jeremy – chose one and cleared his throat. Kol mentally smirked, there had come the moment where the boy would muddle up in his explanation, still convinced the vampire was an ignorant. This should be fun.

"Alright," he began and Kol felt his excitement heightened, "As it's just gonna be the two of us, I'll keep it simple."

Kol raised his eyebrows, feigning interest. The boy cleared his throat again, probably looking for a way to explain simply enough for him to understand (_if you knew, my boy_).

"So, you have the pitcher and the catcher" he continued, "The pitcher, uh, pitches, using the bat. That is hit the ball with it and the catcher's role is to, well, to catch the ball, obviously..." He stopped and scratched the back of his head. "Sounds pretty lame put like that."

Kol fought back the urge to laugh. He was so cute, just like a delicious little blushing meal on legs. After a few seconds of silence, Kol decided to ease Jeremy's embarrassment.

"No! Sounds fun! We give it a try then?"

The boy bit his lip and shrugged, "Er, yeah, sure. So, who does what?"

"Mind if I catch? I'm feeling too lazy to pitch at the moment." _Plus, I wouldn't want to risk smashing your skull, beautiful. Klaus wouldn't be pleased and me neither._

The boy smiled. "No problem!"

Kol returned the smile with equal vigor. The boy – Jeremy – took a glove from the display and handed it to him.

"Stay here, I'm going to ask for a ball."

Kol was going to argue that he did not take orders from a human but kept his mouth shut when his brain intervened with the whole list of consequences if he ever were going to say anything. Therefore, he contented himself with a low growl as he watched that insolent human speaking to a man for a damn ball. He tried to calm down his nerves. He had not forgotten there was a whole display of wood weapons at his disposal. And he was upset. Upset plus weapon never made a good combination when Kol was concerned – for the receiver of his wrath anyway (especially when said receiver was a human boy he was supposed to _keep alive_). He squeezed his eyes shut and set about taking deep breath. He could not allow himself to slip in front the boy. He had known the risks when he decided to go against Nik's restrictions – and Nik knew his brother. He had to control his temper.

The smell of the human hit his sensitive nose. His yoga moment was over.

"You okay, buddy?" the boy asked, concern in his voice.

Kol repressed a growl.

"I'm good. Sorry I was just having... bad thoughts tis all."

He tried to smile reassuringly to the boy but judging by the look of utter confusion on his face, Kol concluded that his meager attempt had most likely failed. He sighed, discouraged. He had just spent twenty minutes with the boy and lined up two black marks already. Only after twenty minutes... It was not just "not good", it was a pure disaster; the very illustration of his inability to interact with humans if they were to remain alive and unscratched at the end. _Quit being the serial killer for Goddamn sake!_ He was going to scare the boy off and everything would be ruined and Nik _would_ have his head (on a plate for Rebekah). The image made him shudder.

He focused back on Jeremy. The boy was staring at him curiously, as if watching some baboons in a zoo. And at that precise moment, Kol felt like a baboon. He tried to recompose himself for the third time since the beginning of their afternoon together.

"Let's play, shall we?!"

His proposition reanimated the previous joy on the boy's face which lit up. Kol grinned inwardly. Humans were so versatile. He made the mental promise to keep this piece of information in the back of his mind, it would probably come in handy later.

They settled on a medium parcel, in the left of the terrain. There were numerous other players displayed all over the lot which was not a surprise since it was a Saturday afternoon. Kol was getting ready to pose when he was interrupted by the boy who handed him a... cask? Was the boy really giving _him_ a cask?

"You should wear that" the boy said and Kol felt his jaw tightened. The human had just given him _another_ indirect order.

"I don't need it" Kol replied on a very surprising neutral tone (while he was boiling with rage inside) with a shrug of shoulders.

"Really, you should. I'm not the best player in the world, by far... I don't want to cause you a trauma or something."

Kol raised his eyebrows, blown away by the boldness of that pathetic human who had just implied he needed _protection_ from a _human _(the bastard had actually dared). _But he doesn't know who you are_, his conscience reminded him. His brain once again sang its little consequences song and Kol abdicated. He opted for words instead of his right fist right inside the boy's chest. Elijah would have rewarded him a medal for self-control if he had watched the scene.

"You think you're that strong?" he asked, sounding smug (which was better than murderous in his opinion)

"Oh no! Not strong. Clumsy." The human replied.

Kol tilted his head on the side but kept quiet. He had done enough already.

They began to play. The boy hit the ball (did he seriously call _that_ hitting? Kol would not even dare calling it _holding_) and Kol would catch it – sometimes he missed it on purpose not to appear too suspicious (he had done enough already). He also had to be particularly careful when he threw the ball back to the boy and keep his strength in check not to make any damage.

All in all, it was radically boring (humans were so slow) and Kol would have probably slipped for good if not for the Smalltalk which punctuated each pitch and catch.

They bantered about family. The boy asked him questions about his parents. Kol replied they were dead. The boy said he was sorry. Kol replied it had happened a long time ago. The boy told him he had lost his parents too, the year before. Kol said he was sorry. The boy replied that it was okay even if both knew this was a lie. They talked about siblings. The boy mentioned his sister. Kol said he had an older brother who was an abusive dick. The boy laughed. They agreed on the profound abusiveness of siblings and the way they were absolutely persuaded to be the center of the Universe.

They bantered about people. The boy said they were strange. Kol agreed. The boy said he often felt like being the only one of his kind on a foreign planet. Kol agreed. The boy said he was fine on his own, that he would rather remain all alone than forcing himself into staying with persons he disliked. Kol agreed. Even if he did not once open his mouth to utter his opinion.

They played and blabbered for roughly two hours. They put their burrowed accessories back in place and exited the terrain.

They walked for a few minutes in silence until Jeremy broke it.

"I'm starving. Fancy a snack?"

Kol thought for an answer. His eyes fell on a boy sat not far from where they were standing. He flicked his gaze on the teenager for a couple of seconds before focusing back on Jeremy.

"Maybe later, but for now I'm good!"

The boy – Jeremy – nodded. "Suit yourself!"

He bought himself a sandwich.

"Haven't you eaten before coming?"

"I have," the boy answered his mouth full, "But still, I'm starving all the same!"

Kol rolled his eyes. Teenager boys, such stomachs on legs.

The boy's – Jeremy's – phone buzzed. "It's Alice, the woman with whom I live" he said. "I have to go home, sorry dude."

Kol smirked : "Are you like twelve or something to have a curfew?"

The boy shook his head : "She usually lets me do what I want. But today she's repainting the living room and I volunteered to help."

"My! That's nice of you."

The boy shrugged. "Well, she and her husband welcomed me into their house. They give me food and a shelter so it's the least I can do."

Kol nodded even if he did not quite understand why the boy bothered. If they welcomed him, it meant they accepted to accommodate him for free. He decided not to dwell on the problem and bade the boy goodbye.

"I had fun today," the boy admitted.

"Me too."

"Are you free next week-end?"

"Uhm... Yeah sure!"

"Maybe we could hang out again?" The boy sounded uncomfortable, as if he did not really know the social codes of interactions and improvised his own.

Kol could sympathize with him on that : "I'd love to."

They smiled to each other and parted ways.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

Kol sat on the sidewalk, watching that boy he had noticed earlier. He recapitulated the events of the day. Things had gone rather smoothly apart from his slight mood swings. But that was Kol's problem, his swings. Contrary to what people might think, Kol did feel emotions. He was not turned off. Yet, he was positively unable to control them. They were too strong, too delicate, too blinding for him to filter them. When he felt sad, he felt desperate. When he felt good, he felt ecstatic. When he felt angry, he felt murderous. He was on eternal edge. There was no in-between. Today with the boy – Jeremy – he had almost slipped thrice. This would never repeat itself again.

His snack stood up and began to walk away. At the same time his own phone buzzed. Nick was calling him. He sighed and picked up while following his prey.

"Hey brother!" he said, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"How are things doing?"

Kol rolled his eyes. "If you're asking me if I harmed that boy then I'm sorry to disappoint but no, Jeremy Gilbert is safe and sound, living his pathetic and mundane human life."

"I assume you stayed away from him?" Klaus' tone was as cutting as a knife.

"Of course I did! What do you want me to do with a _human_ if I'm not allowed to play with him?"

Kol heard his brother sigh : "Good. Please Kol, I know you're not really good at following orders but it's highly important not to draw attention on yourself. We found a way to undo Mother' spell. I will need my leverage more than ever, do you understand?"

Kol sighed, annoyed : "Yes, yes I do understand. I'm not some stupid child, thank you very much."

"Don't be like that. You know I trust you, right? You better not disappoint me."

"Or what, you'll put another dagger in my heart?!"

"Kol..."

"I got it okay? I know what I have to do : watch the boy, stay away, don't draw attention. I got it. Don't worry you won't lose your precious leverage and you'll be able to stay alive so you can have many baby hybrids with your Doppelganger so now if you'll excuse me I have a snack to grab. See you."

And without leaving Niklaus time to add his clever remarks, Kol hung up. He was so sick of being treated like an immature and useless brat. Yes he had impulsion problems, yes he had a predilection for violence and torture and then what? He was a vampire! And Niklaus was no better! Nor was Elijah for that matter. He might act all noble but he was nothing less than a very stoic cold-blooded murderer. He just did it with class, that was his only difference with the rest of his family – Finn the victim set aside of course.

He caught his prey in the lobby of his building. The guy froze and eyed him warily.

"Looking for something?"

Kol smiled brightly : "Yeah, I'm hungry and you are going to let me come in with you and you and I are going to have a great time."

"We are going to have a great time," the human replied absently.

Kol smirked : "That's right!"

He did not waste any time. The boy said to his mother that he and his friend were going in his room. She nodded. Kol unleashed his two hours of frustration onto the boy. He had to compel the mother so that she would not disturb them. He made the boy pay for his wrath towards Jeremy's insolence and foolishness. He made him pay for his wrath towards Klaus who would never see him as anything more than a disposable child. He made him pay for his inability to control his own emotions.

When he was done, the boy was a mess of flesh and blood. Kol had been so mad, he failed to release himself and his frustration was just half gone. Now his snack was deader than dead and absolutely unfuckable. He would have to find himself another one. That stupid Jeremy Gilbert. He had not spent a day with a human for more than a millennium. How was he supposed to know how to behave? What to do, what to say? That human put him in a position of weakness. He did feel like a baboon in a zoo being watched by all those bizarre visitors who expected him to do tricks he could not understand. Out of rage, he tore one of the dead boy's legs and threw it across the room. He was so mad he felt on the edge of crying.

When his crisis cooled down, he went back into the living room and compelled the mother to open the window and jump. She did as told.

He smiled, feeling a bit relieved and made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. He watched as the blood ran down his body into the hot water to mix with it.

Back in the street, he set about getting another body which he would treat a little less like pudding and a little more like a body.

That stupid Jeremy Gilbert and his stupid ideas and questions.

But most of all, stupid Kol who was the one to have put himself in that situation in the first place. Really, what was he thinking?

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**There you go! I know the chapters are kinda short but that means I update quicker. I also tried to make an effort with punctuation even if I hate the way the markers stick to the words. I like the French way better!**


	4. IV

**Hi guys! Fourth chapter up! I know it took longer to come than the others but I really do not want to rush things between Kol and Jeremy. By the way, I have come across Kolremy videos on Youtube which had me melt!**

**Oh and I am so happy my Kol boy is coming back next episode! However I felt murderous when I spotted that scene between him and Bonnie... Carol's death was also awful, even if Tyler saw it coming. Klaus is such the crying psycho! He always has teary eyes, that is crazy! Oh and I have decided to give up on any hope of having a gay Kol... I mean the actor – albeit as good-looking as he is – is a Bible fanatic... Those are never good (no mean to offense anyone but religion and homosexuality are not really bff). Besides I saw a couple of interviews of him where he makes very limited gay "jokes"... So, we will not have a gay Kol anytime soon I guess. And I fear the Jeremy/April so bad *cries***

**Complains set aside, I would like to thank all my supporters, really thank you very much.**

**A personal thank to my two anonymous reviewers. I know I use the French punctuation (bad habit) but I am trying to make an effort! So bear with me!**

**Now the chapter, hope you will like it! Once again, I apologize for any grammatical/spelling mistake my blond brain might have omitted...**

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****IV.

Kol was determined to become the best buddy there ever was. He was used to always shining in everything, this social business would not go any different. Kol was after all gorgeous in every way!

With a satisfied nod to his reflection in the mirror, he opened the door and rushed outside.

When he had decided to acquire solid knowledge in twenty-first century social behavior, he had been faced with two options: he could either abduct a human to interrogate to death, or read a book.

Kol being Kol, he naturally opted for the most practical solution.

He decided to go for the book; he had never been a good Inquisitor anyway, his tortures were too harsh and the victims never exceeded the first round of questions. According to Klaus, he lacked the patience. What could he say, he did have a tendency to get over excited when violence was involved...

So, on a fresh Sunday morning, he found himself wandering in the sociology department of a bookstore. There were so many books. He had no idea of what to choose. After an hour of fruitless research, he grew impatient and asked for help. A girl came to his rescue.

"What kind of book are you looking for exactly?" she asked

"Things about how to behave in your century, Darling!"

Her eyes widened: "I'm afraid I don't understand, Sir."

Kol sighed, feeling exasperation started boiling inside of him.

"You see,_ sweetie pie_, I was an unmatchable chameleon until my stupid brother put me in a stupid coffin for the past hundred years and now I must say that I'm a bit rusted."

Her eyes looked about to pop out. He sighed again. He did not have time for foolish humans. He took her by the shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.

"Now, you're going to be a good girl and answer me. What should I get in order to learn more about what kids nowadays do? See, there's this boy I'm supposed to watch and last time I hung out with him, I felt like a complete idiot. This won't happen again. So next Saturday when I meet him, I want to be _perfectly_ trained."

She swallowed. He briefly closed his eyes. He just hoped she was not on vervain; it would be a bummer not to be able to erase her memory. He hated it when he could not keep his mouth shut.

"I'd suggest the Internet."

"And what if I don't know how to use the damn thing?"

"Umh..."

Kol was running out of patience. He let out an over exasperated sigh. "You know what, just forget. Forget everything."

Her face was blank. He did not smell vervain on her. All was good (apart from the fact that he had left the store empty-handed. His plan was aborted).

He spent the following days dreading for the up coming afternoon with the kid. _Jeremy_. He tried to get a grip. Since when was he afraid of a mere mortal? Since when did he care about the impression he left on said mortals? He tried to rationalize his irrational reaction: Jeremy was the first human contact not to end as dinner he had had for centuries. He was facing a situation he knew nothing about and _he needed that damn book. _

Eventually, on Friday, his anxiety was so strong none of the four humans he slaughtered managed to appease him. How was he going to avoid any vampire slip the next day? Kol knew his temper. No slip was not even conceivable.

As he made his way back to the hotel in which he had checked in, he walked by the bookstore he had left five days earlier. He stopped just in front of it, pondering whether to enter or not. He just needed the basis: how to answer casual questions, what activity to choose, the new clothing code (had Jeremy's hoodie a particular symbolic he had missed?)... After a five minutes mental debate, the door's bell rang and the clerk appeared. When he saw her, he was smitten with lucidity. He grinned and approached her.

"Hello there!"

As he had compelled her, she did not remember him. "Can I help you?"

His grin widened. She gulped, probably feeling the danger that emanated from him.

"Oh yes," he said darkly, "more that you can imagine."

Before she even got a chance to reply anything – or scream for help – he smacked her on the head to shut her up.

He smiled, satisfied, and picked her up. Yes, this would be much more convenient than a book.

The Saturday morning sunlight beamed through his window. He cracked an eye open and stirred. He felt oddly enthusiast. He shook his head at his own pathetic behavior. Was he so bored the company of a ridiculous mortal was enough to cheer him up? This Denver business would better be over soon if he did not want to lose the little dignity he had left.

He cast a glance at the foot of his bed. The girl was curled into a ball and shaking. When he had brought her home with him, he compelled her not to ask questions or try to escape.

He crouched beside her: "Birdie, birdie, birdie! Wake u-_up_! It's breakfast time!"

She opened her eyes. When she spotted him, her face contorted with fear. He sighed. She obviously was in need of another compulsion.

"Now, there," he began soothingly, "no need to break into hysterics so soon in the morning! You won't feel any fear as long as you stay here. In fact, I don't want you to feel _anything at all_. Got it?"

She nodded blankly. He smiled. A terrified and stammering speaking dictionary would not have been very useful, as a speaking dictionary anyway.

"Good! So, how'd you sleep? You'll have to forgive my poor qualifications as a host. I usually do not keep a human alive more than a couple of hours."

She nodded in silence.

"What is your name, my darling?"

"Helen."

"Alright, then. _Helen_," he smirked darkly, "You, my pretty, are going to help me with my problem! You know, that boy I've talked to you about?! Well no, you can't I had compelled you to forget..."

Kol bit his lip and frowned, looking for his words.

"So, yes. First things first, breakfast."

She looked up. He grinned as he took her arm and bit into her wrist. She did not make a sound nor did she move an inch. When he was done drinking, he left her to shower. Back to the room, he noticed he had received a message. It was from the target: _"Hey! How was your week?! Let's try to meet at 2.30 instead, i'm afraid I can't make it at 2. See you there, Jeremy."_

Kol frowned. Had the boy just postponed their meeting? What did it mean? Unable to read between the lines of that stupid twenty-first century message, he put his phone under the girl's nose.

"What does it mean?" he asked harshly

She blinked: "That he can't make it at 2?"

Wrong answer. He looked ready to explode. "Don't mock me, little girl. Why would he postpone it? What does it mean? Maybe he's getting suspicious about me... Arg! I knew I should have killed that human brat when I could!"

He was positively fuming, making big circles with his arms while pacing from one side to the other side of the room.

"You know, when someone postpones a meeting at the last minute, it means something unexpected occurred. It doesn't necessarily mean you did something bad..." she tried to temperate him

Kol stopped pacing to look at her: "Really?"

"Well, have you?"

"What?"

"Done something bad?"

"I'm a vampire! Of course! I do awful things all the time! But he's not supposed to know that..." Kol thought for a moment before speaking again, "No I didn't do anything against him... Not yet..."

"So he doesn't have a reason to be angry with you. Besides you'll be seeing him soon enough. You'll know."

Kol pondered her answer for a few seconds: "Should I directly ask him or wait for him to spill it?"

"It's more polite to wait..."

Kol scowled: "I'm not _polite_!" he replied, full of venom, as if the word had stung him

She shrugged. "Suit yourself. But if you want to keep seeing him for a while, youd should make an effort."

He looked murderous. _Don't kill her yet, you're going to need her more_. All right then, he would try to _make an effort_ for the Sake of a stupid human boy! What a joke!

When he saw the boy waiting for him, his eagerness was back. The boy - Jeremy - was wearing his usual distasteful pieces of clothing but his smile looked so genuine that Kol did not know whether he should jump him or slash that pretty face of his.

He opted for a neutral greet. _Don't forget the smile. There. _Helen had insisted on the importance of the smile which seemed to have been the right thing to do as the boy's – Jeremy's – widened.

The boy told him about his week and Kol had to use all the self-control tips he had collected for the past millennium not to cut him off to ask straight away why he was thirty minutes late.

He eventually learned the kid had had a bad night sleep and could not just bring himself to get out of bed. Kol felt outraged. The perspective of seeing him was thus not motivating enough? He would have to ask the meaning of this to Helen when he was back at the hotel.

They took their baseball stuff and settled on the terrain to play. This time, Kol agreed to bat. He had to restrain himself a maximum not to put extra strength on his hit and break the boy' skull. _That would be so pretty, tough_. The terrain was definitely too green. A red touch would be a nice addition. _Think about the mission. Nik's Doppelganger. The townspeople. And the boy on a silver plate at the end._ Oh! He could not wait to be able to have his ways with that human. After the whole month he had spent watching him, he found the perfect tortures to use on him.

He could almost taste his blood in the air. And hear the pitch of his screams. He sighed in phantasmagorical bliss.

His morbid thoughts set aside, he was able to gather capital information about the boy. As, for example, the disastrous track record of his romantic life. Three girlfriends. Two out of the three down. Like, permanently down. A tragedy.

And then, the topic switched to something interesting.

"And you, got a girl?"

In other words "Have you been fucking lately?" Kol did not understand why they always bothered with nice and soft turn of phrases. A cat was a cat, after all. No matter how they expressed it, they all wanted to know the same thing in the end.

What to reply... He could be honest and take the chance to scare the boy off, or he could lie and... lose all the fun of his reaction after the big revelation? What to choose? Order or mayhem?

Kol smirked lightly, then scowled himself when the boy frowned. And one slip, one!

"Girls don't interest me." There, he had said it.

He gauged the boy's reaction. The target had stopped playing and his eyebrows began to perform a most inspired dance on his forehead. _Oops_.

"Sorry, mate. Have I shocked you?"

That snapped the boy – Jeremy – out of his trance. His eyebrows stopped dancing. _Too bad, it was fun_.

"What? No, no! I just... didn't expect it, that's all..."

Kol feigned indignation: "What?! Aren't my good looks a dead giveaway?"

The boy – Jeremy – chuckled uncomfortably but remained silent for a short while.

"So, boyfriend, then?" the boy finally asked

"Not currently, no," Kol replied slowly. _Do not stare, do not stare_.

After that, they kept playing in relative silence; the only sound being the steady collision of the bat against the ball. Kol was not happy. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut after all. Now the boy was as mute as a tombstone and Kol could not even compel him to forget, if his revelation was the reason the boy kept it mute. Damn.

The awkwardness might have continued for a while if drops of rain had not started pouring down the terrain. After a few minutes, it had become unplayable. They were soaked. Shitty afternoon. They stared at each other, as if trying to decipher what the other was thinking.

"Well, I think our baseball time is over," Kol finally said with a fake chuckle

"Yeah," the boy agreed

Silence came back, only to be disturbed by the regular lapping of the rain. Kol was getting bored and annoyed. Maybe a snack would pep him up a bit. He tried to discretely check the area for a tasty human. Yet, he had to stop when he caught the boy looking in the direction he was looking, as if to understand why he had stared in that particular direction in the first place. Two slips. The boy – Jeremy – eyed him curiously. Kol tried to smile his best innocent smile. God, he was a psychopath. He needed to get away from that boy as soon as possible.

As he was about to leave, the boy cut him off with the most unexpected question.

"Fancy coming at my place?"

Kol's eyes grew wide. Did this boy never consider his own words before lashing them out?

"I just told you I liked guys and you invite me over?!" he could not help but point out with a smirk

The boy's face became beet red when he realized what he had just implicitly offered. Kol felt his fangs twitch as the delicious smell of his blood hit his sensitive nose. _Not now you idiots!_

"No! I meant... Just as friends!" the boy tried to put it right, "you come at my place and we hang out as pals. Nothing more!"

He was so embarrassed, it was a golden opportunity for Kol to tease him a bit. _If I can't play with him yet..._

"Really? Because, you know, I wouldn't be against getting to know you better..." he flirted with a dirty grin

If it was possible, the boy grew even redder. Kol's fangs were getting desperate to sink into him. He could almost feel the veins gather under his eyes. _Oh shit!_ Fortunately, the human did not seem to have noticed anything.

"Well, we're friends, okay? I'm not... Dudes don't interest me," he stammered, "sorry."

_As if I needed you to be interested..._

"No hard feelings mate, I was just kidding!"

The boy smiled sheepishly. _Don't smile like that if you don't want me to jump your bones, idiot!_

"So, are you coming?" the human asked again, eyes full of hope

He was so cute it was sickening.

And there came the real problem. How would Kol manage in a human's den? He could hardly keep up on a sport field! Helen had not mentioned anything about being invited over. She had briefed him about baseball, greetings, casual chit-chat, but nothing about spending free time in a human's home. This was a really bad idea.

And at the same time, an invitation could come in handy. That would make any emergency killing easier... The boy was granting him access to his home, his room, his privacy. He would probably not be given such an occasion soon enough again. It was a golden opportunity.

"Yeah sure!" he said with a smile

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

The boy – Jeremy – drove them home. In spite of his excitement to invade the boy's personal sphere, he was unable to put aside his lingering nervousness. What was he supposed to do with a teenage human boy if he could not fuck him? Fuck and drain were basically the only activities Kol knew and performed. Would the human want to play games? He shivered at the idea of him playing any sort of twenty-first century game with a twenty-first century sixteen year old human. Even Rebekah had not sunk that low...

When the boy invited him in, he could not help but feel extremely satisfied. Stupid humans. Even more stupid when those humans had grown up in a town full of vampires.

The boy – Jeremy – showed him around. Kol was fascinated with all the gadgets his eyes fell onto. However, when Jeremy proposed him to play video games, he instantly froze. What was a video game? Why had Helen not mentioned anything about that? _Because you didn't ask her you duh._ The boy might have noticed his sudden discomfort for he frowned.

"Don't you have those in Europe?"

Kol remained petrified.

"Wow! I didn't know things were so bad over there!"

He looked genuinely shocked. As much as Kol, yet for different reasons.

"My family is not really keen on modern technology..." he tried to justify himself

"Oh, I see. That sucks! Well, another thing I'll have to teach you, then!" he joked

Kol cast him a murderous glare. _Don't slip, don't slip! Breath, you'll kill him another day! _The boy might have realized he had upset him for he threw up his hands as a sign of peace.

"Hey! Chill out, bud! I was only joking!"

Kol mentally scowled himself. Slip number three, welcome! He _was_ a complete social disaster. Yet how was he supposed to know he would end up at the human's place alone with him? Helen would pay for not preparing him to face _any situation_.

"Sorry..." he smiled apologetically, "I'd like to try those video games very much," he lied

The human smiled back. Kol returned his smile – although his was forced.

They settled on the couch with a bag of crisps and two bottles of coke. Jeremy pulled out a weird-looking box labeled "Call of Duty".

"I hope you have nothing against violence!"

Kol smirked. _If only you knew, my sweet boy_.

Truth be told, Kol was thankful to the human for having picked up such a gore game. The slaughter and the blood helped a great deal to contain his urges during the two hours they played. However, their outrageous proximity made it difficult for Kol not to feel the warmth of the boy's body or have his nostrils tickled by the sweet smell of his blood. _Press X, press X. That's it! _That boy was a pure temptation, and Kol the least abstemious person ever. All in all, it was the worst combination possible.

Kol positively devoured the crisps and coke in order to keep his desire at bay. It helped but a little. Jeremy' smell was too strong to be masked by burned potatoes. Kol felt on fire, as if every fiber of his being were focused on every detail of that boy. It was torture.

When the clock ticked 6pm, Kol decided it was best to leave. It had not been quite horrible, after all. He could almost admit he had had fun...

He made his way back to the hotel with a smile. He could not wait to report everything to Helen.

* * *

**There you go! I hope it was not too boring. At first I wanted to make an ellipse of a few weeks but Kol disagreed. And that's him telling the story after all, I only transcript his will.**

**Oh and by the way so sorry for any mistakes, but I had to post in a hurry so I couldn't reread as much as I would have liked.  
**


	5. V

**Hi guys! I know, I know, I'm late. Sorry about that, I just couldn't bring myself to write. This chapter is kinda short, I apologize but I really don't want to rush into things that might be better if taken slowly.**

**I wish a very Happy New Year to everyone!  
**

**So, I hope you will like this one!**

* * *

V.

Sat on the couch of the hotel room, Kol reread his notes for the umpteenth time. He had had Helen organize his learning by themes to assimilate more easily and prevent any other lacking such as last time at Jeremy's home. He could then on say that he possessed a solid knowledge of twenty-first century teenage culture.

Helen was having a shower; if he were to utilize her for a more or less important amount of time, he decided she could use the hotel amenities just like he did – starving and smelly humans were not a nice company. Besides, having his own room service facility had its perks.

He hated to have to recognize it, but he was happy. Excited even. It was not the usual pre (or post) killing excitement. No, he just felt genuinely excited, almost... innocent. He could not wait to see Jeremy – the boy – again, just so he could make the most of Helen's lessons. He had not been so honestly eager for a very long time. He felt like a child on Christmas Eve, eager and excited to see the presents under the tree. Jeremy was a bit like a present. He filled his days with something Kol had forgotten about: longing, casual entertainment.

Kol shook violently his head from side to side. What was he thinking? Was he... softening for that brat? He absolutely refused to become a second Klaus, completely overtaken by his idiotic baby vampire. Klaus was the most powerful of them all! He was a heartless killer, although a bit teary at times, but still! And that Caroline had turned him into an enamored kitten. It was sickening! His poor, _poor_ brother! Whenever he was near her he would just lower his head like a submissive puppy and become all soft and babbling! Kol shuddered in disgust. He positively refused to become like that! And especially not for the Sake of a _human._

He was in dire need of a walk.

As soon as the sun touched his head, he lifted his face to the sky and closed his eyes to savor the sensation of light and warmth. He inhaled the fresh air deeply. It felt amazing. His mind cleansed almost instantly.

His eyes scanned the busy humans around him. He needed to kill, to hit, smash, slash, slaughter. He needed fresh blood and screams of agony. After a visual wandering of five minutes, he spotted a group of three laughing school girls. They were all the perfect archetype of the dimwitted cheerleader: blond, fit, fashionably dressed, gushy.

He smirked. They were just what he was looking for. Her screams would sound amazing. He switched his hunter mode on and began to follow them.

Fortunately, they turned at the corner of a deserted alley. A dead-end. They were rambling and chuckling, completely oblivious to the dangerous predator on their track, a few meters away.

It all happened too fast for them to catch anything. Someone screamed. The girls situated on the right and left turned simultaneously toward the source of the dreadful sound. Their friend had collapsed on the ground. A man stood behind her, a wicked grin plastered on his face, his right hand holding a bleeding heart. Horrified, the girl on the left began to step back, trying to put as much distance as possible between the creature and herself. Her friend remained petrified on her spot, unable to move an inch. Kol' smile widened.

"Don't you move!" he compelled the petrified girl, "but turn around. You wouldn't want to miss the show, now would you?"

She did as she was told. He smiled a gentle smile and patted her head affectionately. "Of course not. You're such a good girl."

He walked cat-like toward the other girl whose back pressed against the concrete wall of the dead-end. His pace was kept deliberately slow. When he reached her trembling form, he put his hands on her upper arms and squeezed slightly.

"Gotcha" he whispered, still smiling as if playing a game of Hide and Seek

He stared at her for a short while and morphed his face in order for her to _see_ what he was. He watched with delight as she squeaked like a chased mouse – which she actually was.

He did not make any move for a couple of seconds so that her mind registered everything that was going to happen. Her lips trembled in anticipation.

Then, without any warning, he bit harshly into her flesh and drained her dry.

The last girl was still at the exact same spot, eyes wide from the horror she had just been compelled to witness.

He sighed out of contentment and wiped his bloody mouth clean with a tissue. He turned his attention back to the girl and smiled at her.

"It feels so good! You can't just begin to imagine!"

His expression darkened, one could have thought he was feeling nervous, anxious even.

"So, how was it? What do you think? I love feedback! A bit too fast maybe? Yeah, I'm afraid... Didn't leave much time to actually feel the coming peak. I should've waited a bit longer before killing her... Oh well! Next time!"

He did not wait for any reply – no reply was needed. He remained silent for a little while, daydreaming, his nose up in the blue sky, hands in pocket. After five minutes of dreadful silence, he checked the trembling girl up and down. He could read in her eyes that her (short) life flashed before her eyes. A boredom pout formed on his lips. He shrugged.

"Mmh... I'm not hungry anymore."

With that, he left the street and the girl, the compulsion still in force.

He made his way back to the main avenue. He was not far from the boy's house – after all, Klaus had said "sleep nearby", he never specified where... And a hotel room was nicer than some sordid grass infested with legions of disgusting bugs.

He began to walk aimlessly. It was the beginning of the afternoon and the boy was in school. He walked for a good twenty minutes when a familiar smell stopped him.

He sniffed the air and turned his head in the direction of the delicious scent that brought goosebumps all over him.

_What was he doing here?_ Wasn't he supposed to be in school on a Tuesday afternoon? He knitted his eyebrows. A couple of miles away, there was the boy, spread on the grass, in the park, playing fetch with his dog. _How cute..._ He rolled his eyes and hid behind a trunk to watch him better. _What is he doing here. Is he... skipping? _The frown deepened. Well, that was not a good thing at all. To skip school was _not_ permitted! Alternate decisions were not in the original contract Kol had signed! The contract stipulated that from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 2pm, the target was _in class_! Not playing fetch with a puppy in a stupid park! He felt anger beginning to boil inside him. And what if something had happened to the boy? What then? Klaus would have killed him! _Well, if you were watching him as you should be, there would have been no surprise!_ He would have known of the boy's decision. Still...

He stayed there and watched Jeremy throw a stick in the air for his dog to catch. He looked happy and relaxed; so pure and innocent. Kol's breath loosened as he lost himself in the sight in front of him. The corners of his own mouth twitch upward. After a second of idle observation, he took notice of his predicament: to his utter dismay, he realized he was _contemplating_ a mortal _with a smile_ on his a face! And not a sinister, predatory smile. No, a real happy smile. _A tender smile_.

He shook his head so hard he feared it had detached itself from his neck.

_It's that boy_. He was poisonous. His happiness was fucking contagious! He was turning him into a soft thing!

Kol felt nauseous and lowered his head in shame.

_The mission!_ That was it! He needed to keep focus on the mission! With a wicked smile, he took his phone out and began to type: _"Let me know when I'm needed."_

He patiently waited. He was here on behalf of Niklaus, here to chop the head of that stupid boy if it was required.

He looked back at the boy, determined to feel angry and vengeful. He found himself drifting into lust instead... He rolled his eyes. _Come on, I am not that pathetic!_

Fortunately, as he was about to curse himself for being so _needy_, his phone buzzed.

He picked up.

"Kol!" said his brother on the other line, "How is the weather up there in Mile High City?"

Kol's gaze was still locked on Jeremy.

"Too hot... I'm roasting!" he replied, grumpy

His brother – just as usual – ignored him beautifully.

"And how is our friend?" Klaus' tone was expecting, daring almost.

Kol's eyebrows shot upward his forehead. "Playing with his puppy like a good ol' naff! Why?"

"May I see him?"

The question – which was more of an order that an actual question – took Kol aback. He had not envisioned that. Good thing he was not pretending to be near him... If Klaus had made his request sooner in the morning, the answer would have been quite different... He tried not to drag on too long on the impact of such a situation on his pretty head...

"Of course," he replied, trying to sound bored

He put his camera device on and started recording that idiotic Jeremy – boy – continuously throwing his stick to the dog. He waited patiently.

"Isn't that the most adorable thing you've ever seen?" he heard his brother whisper sweetly

He frowned. His dead heart swelled. Cold sweat gathered on his forehead. Was his brother talking to him? Was he there? Did he... _know? _If so, he had seen him smile and look horrendously similar to Rebekah when in love-struck awe. _Oh the Shame_. He composed himself seconds later. No, he was being paranoid. Klaus had called him to make use of the leverage. He was threatening someone else to have that spell removed. There was no other possible explanation.

He was snapped out of his mind by his brother's cheerful voice: "Thank you, Kol. We'll be in touch."

And with that, he hang up on him.

"Impolite bastard!" Kol cried, outraged

Suddenly, a feeling of relief passed through him. _That was the test, and I passed it! I fucking passed it!_ One thing was certain though, Klaus had just made it clear he could call at any moment.

He turned his attention back to the boy and gritted his teeth, his eyes dancing with mirth.

_Soon my boy, I'll be able to eat you._

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

It was nighttime. The boy was sound asleep in his bed. Kol was back in his room. Helen had collapsed, he might have drained her a bit too much...

He was bored. He had been trying to fall asleep for more than three hours but naught would do. He tossed and turned in his bed to no avail. Sleep would simply not come. He felt on edge. Feverish and over excited. About what? He had no idea. Kol was used to being over excited, yet he usually knew why. He glanced at his watch: 4am.

Outstanding.

For a second, he considered going out but decided otherwise. His eyes wandered around the room lazily. His eyes fell upon his phone, on the end-table. He frowned and took it.

He began to scroll down his media folder. It was full of junk. His thumb froze on the short clip he had recorded earlier that day. With a gulp, he opened it.

As he watched Jeremy – the boy – playing with his dog on the video, he felt his imaginary fever reach peaks of tolerance. His breath caught in his throat as he _admired_ the angular features of that beautiful boy. He knew he was only acting so strangely because he had still not been able to have him, and Kol was used to always having what he wanted straight away. He put his finger on the boy's face and remained like that for a few seconds before realizing the silliness of his move. He scowled.

_That stupid boy_.

He crushed his phone out of rage.

_Uh oh!_ His eyes bulged. Speaking about clever moves... How exactly was he going to contact Jeremy now? How was he going to _be in touch_ with Niklaus with his phone reduced to dozens of plastic pieces? He sighed and put his head between his hands.

The situation was getting out of control. He should have never taken the liberty to get acquainted with his target. He had mixed business with pleasure and now he was in trouble.

His facial muscles tensed. He had to turn the tables back to his benefit as it used to be; he would stick to the plan once and for all. He was there to track a human brat and he was going to do so. He took his notepad full of social behavior scrawls from under his pillow and tore it up.

On next Saturday, he would not meet the boy on the baseball field.

Satisfied with his decision, he smiled to himself and laid back in his bed. Morpheus embraced him almost instantly.

* * *

**There you go! I must precise that I don't know if Kol left that girl with her compulsion on intentionally or not. I just think he is so shallow and unstable that he had probably forgotten about that girl at all.**

**Oh, by the way, some lines here were taken directly from the 18th episode of the third season. I'm really trying to keep a coherence with the show but time passes so strangely that I never know if a day or a week has gone by between two episodes.  
**

**Stay tuned, kiddos!**


	6. VI

**Two things: first, I do not like season 4. I mean the show is getting annoying and the plot has turned into complete madness. The writers are bad, they ruined Damon's character and the love triangle is more irritating than ever. BUT (and that is my second point) the last episode was BADASS! The Kolremy scene anyone? I mean, when I saw that scene I was like OMG! Not only did Kol recognize their friendship but he also tried to _convince_ Jeremy out of the hunter thing. He tried to _talk _to him instead of just doing the next move (which made my slasher imagination go wild). And more than ever, I SHIP THEM SO HARD! Everything in Kol and Jeremy's behavior during that scene screamed untold truth and secrets. The way Kol looked at him, his words... Am I the only one who felt like he was _flirting with him?_ In a way. I know, I know, I'm biased. But still, Kol and Jeremy forever. God this couple has SO MUCH potential. It's a shame they won't explore it... Especially with Kol being so gay, come on he has called Damon "Darling" twice already and the: "Good to see you, mate!" killed me...**

**Besides, I truly like the new aspect they showed of Kol. He definitely is able to care about something. He is not just a plain serial killer. There is more to him and I will definitely dig it up myself. **

**A massive thank to all my readers and reviewers. You guys are awesome!**

* * *

****VI.

There was a positive aspect in the fact that his phone was broken; he now had a proper excuse to avoid the boy and not meet him as he was supposed to. It would probably be strange for him not to show but, in all honesty, Kol could not care less. He was determined to stick to the mission and to the mission only. The spell was in process to be removed and soon the boy would officially be his toy boy.

He had decided to watch him as Nik assumed he did and remain in the shadow – just as he should have kept it going in the first place. Feeding, killing, watching and having fun were the only authorized activities on his program list. He would get bored pretty soon but also knew how close the mission was to be done and over with. It was just a matter of time; a few days at the most.

However, the broken phone equally posed a major issue as far as Klaus was concerned. Kol had no idea of how to deal with the situation and if Klaus were to call him, he would be fucked. Plain and simple. Even getting a new phone would not solve the problem as he knew not his brother's number.

He had started his day with a good kill and a good fuck. He felt replenished and ready to go back to the old stalking routine of three weeks ago. Back at his spot by Jeremy's house, he waited for the boy to show up and go to school. He could hear voices; there was Jeremy's of course but another one, oddly lowered, and the boy sounded like he was speaking to himself. Kol frowned. Was the boy actually insane? Then it hit him, he was on the phone. His curiosity aroused, he strained his ears up to hear the conversation better. With whom could Jeremy be speaking? He was such a lonely boy, and as far as Kol knew, he was his only friend. Maybe had he made another friend? Kol's features tensed in anger which only intensified when he recognized the voice to be female. Shame he was too far to pick up her words. Was she a new love interest? Rage boiled inside him so much that he had to smash the small branch he had been randomly playing with to pass the time.

"Yeah I know" was saying the boy, "No, you're the first. Quite a long time actually."

Kol groaned. Oh the little liar! He knew not what Jeremy was talking about but if it was what he thought it was, then he certainly did not like it. The first girlfriend? Yeah right! And he thought the boy was all pure and innocent... Might not be that innocent after all...

"On Saturday. Don't worry that much! I'm a careful guy!"

Kol's eyebrows shot upward his hairline. Wow! What a conversation! He tilted his head to the side in confusion. Saturday? This Saturday? No way in Hell! Saturday was _their_ day! It was absolutely out of the question to invite a _girl_ on their meeting day! The little jerk was going to pay! Oh yes, to Hell his latest resolutions. He was going to burst into the house, go upstairs, snatch that stupid phone from the boy's hand – and his whole hand for that matter, and perhaps his arm too – and then he would make sure the boy _understood_ how exactly he belonged to him – and Kol could be extremely territorial (one of his worst default according to Elijah). Yes, that stupid little human brat. How dared he? Kol had given him his precious immortal time! He had hung out with him without even bruising him! He had been polite and civil! And that was the reward he got for his good show? No way in Hell!

Reassured by his determination, he began to walk toward the house, fists clenched, his handsome features contorted with murderous folly. That little cheeky thing! He was going to make him beg for Mercy. He was going to make him cry. He was going to...

"Yes, Elena!"

He stopped dead in his track, frozen. Elena? _Elena?_ As in _his sister_, the Doppelganger? He frowned.

"I'm not completely stupid contrary to what you and Damon think. I'm being careful, okay. And I say it again: I am perfectly safe here. There is no vampire, no danger, no murder, no weird stuff. My life is completely normal and as boring as it can be. I have a dog, friends and even school. And now, if you'll excuse me, that's where I need to go, to meet said friends and earn free time to play with said dog. See you."

Silence came back. Kol was sill frozen on his spot. What a fool he was! Jeremy was on the phone with his sister and he had acted like a complete pansy. He shook his head in self-depreciation only to smirk as he realized what a fool that boy was. _No vampire, no danger._ What a naïve, oblivious moron! He hung out with a deadly Original vampire every fucking week and yet, had not a clue. Very careful indeed! Kol chuckled at the irony of the situation. Well, at least he was relieved the boy had not invited anyone on their meeting day. Saturday was _their_ day... Not that he had changed his mind, though. Their day or not, he still had no intention to go. He nodded to himself, satisfied with his decision. However, he frowned when a detail came back in mind; Jeremy had mentioned _friends_. With a plural.

After three days of an impossibly boring routine, Kol had resigned to torture and mass killing in order to pass the time. And when he really felt on the edge to give up and reconsider his position, a quick emotional glance at the human was enough to convince him otherwise. His current victim was a man in his thirties. Kol had spent two hours carving symbols in his chest with a white-hot knife. It was only after twenty minutes that he realized with horror he had been carving a J randomly next to other mindless patterns. He choked and gasped, trying to gain his breath back. Why was that idiotic human still lingering in his thoughts? This was so unnerving. Enraged, he proceeded to cover the shame by carving random lines with the knife. The blood was pouring onto his hand and down the man's body who had almost passed out.

When his crisis cooled down, he had pierced so deep into the skin he was now slashing through organs. He closed his eyes in annoyance and pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. He really had to calm himself.

Saturday arrived sooner than he had expected. He hid behind a car, a few feet far from the field, and watched as the target made his way to their usual meeting spot. He was wearing his baseball uniform and had already his bat in hand.

Kol watched him as he waited for him to show. He watched him wait for one hour. Two hours. Three hours. Him, hidden behind his car, the boy still on the same spot, gradually losing any hope to see his friend's face. He watched him check his phone, eyes full of hope to have had received a message; eyes full of disappointment when he realized he had not. They were only three hundred feet apart but the boy knew naught of it. Kol saw him take his cellphone for the tenth time. He saw him sigh in despair when he once again reached his answering machine.

"Umh, Kol, this is Jeremy. Again. Look, it's going to be 4pm and still no sign of you. I dunno if I should be pissed or worried. I gotta go. I can't wait any longer. Just hope you're doing ok, that nothing wrong happened to you. Please, call me when you get this."

Kol watched him as he put his phone back in his pocket. He looked utterly dejected, and the lump that had been progressively forming in Kol's throat thickened. He felt somewhat bad for the boy. He looked so sad and disappointed. Kol just wanted to cross the distance and scream: "April fool!" - not that he would do such a sappy thing, of course. He watched him as he left, hands in pocket, head down. He waited for a couple of minutes before following him, still in the shadow.

Kol had seen a lot of weird things in his long life; some things so weird they could not even cross minds. Yet, to have a human he had just indirectly betrayed call the police station and the hospital just to assume him safe _was_ something he had never seen – or thought possible. Kol remained petrified as he listened to the boy's passionate tirade from his room.

"Yes, a boy in his early twenties," the boy sounded desperate. "Chestnut hair, brown eyes. About 6 feet tall. Kol. I don't know his family name. With a K, yes. Nothing? No accident reported? With a K? No, I don't think it's him, his name is written with a K. Okay. Thank you for your time."

Kol was stunned. No one in his whole life had _ever_ cared about him so blatantly. Jeez! Not even his own damn family! The boy really was concerned about him. He had fucking called the damn _hospital_ and police station! That was some serious devotion. A bit creepy too. Rather pathetic nonetheless. _But eh, he lost so many people. No wonder the kid is a bit paranoid!_ Kol's head was spinning. All those emotions for his filthy sake deafened him. He needed a drink. Or three.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

He downed his fifth glass of Bourbon in one gulp before smashing the glass on the counter with a loud _SPAT_. That boy cared about him. _You're his only friend that's why_. But still, his concern was genuine. That annoying brat. Pathetic, lonely brat. He had reached him to the core. When he heard his plea, it had felt as if he gripped his dead heart to make it beat with his bare warm hand. Kol's eyes stung. Why? Why did that stupid walking meal care so much? _You're his only friend that's why_. Kol did not want the brat to care. He did not _deserve_ to be cared for. He downed his sixth drink. The boy was so pure and he was so dirty. He had done so many horrible things. Kol loved to be a vampire. He loved to maim and kill. He was not ashamed to be what he was.

At least, not until he met that boy. Whenever he looked into those eyes, he saw himself for what he would be to Jeremy: a monster. A disgusting bloodsucking fiend. That would be Jeremy's perception if he knew the truth. Kol felt sick to the stomach without really understanding why. Jeremy reminded him a bit of Henrik. His sweet baby brother. Like him, Jeremy was full of life and light. Kol lived in the shadows. He was immortal but he was a corpse. Jeremy was very much alive. The seventh glass of Bourbon clicked on the counter. What would Henrik think if he saw what he had become?

He was drunk. He was upset, full of morbid thoughts. He decided to head for the park. Maybe he would meet a nice human to nibble on.

The air was chilly but that did not bother him.

The park was desert. There was not a single person in view. He was officially alone in his misery. He leaned against a trunk and inhaled deeply. A sweet smell burned his nostrils. He frowned his nose in distaste. Where was this smell coming from? He looked around him. He spotted a pattern of smoke at the other side of the lot. He was not alone. There was a human with him. He smirked and slowly approached his up coming meal. Alcohol had made him hungry.

The smell mingled with the strong scent of alcohol. A wasted human. Great! He stopped a few inches away and froze.

_What is he doing here at this hour of the night?_

Crouched against a trunk, a cigaret in mouth and bottle of whiskey in right hand was Jeremy Gilbert. Kol looked more closely. The boy's eyes were close, his face expressing pure devastation. Kol's heart clenched in his chest.

"Jer?" he called gently

When he got no response, his tone grew more urgent: "Hey, mate! Can you hear me?!"

He shook the boy' shoulders. He fluttered his eyes open. When he recognized him, they widened.

"Kol? That's you?!"

Kol gulped then crouched next to him. "Yes, it's me."

"I thought you were dead!" Jeremy's voice was nothing but a faint whisper. He was very tired.

Kol felt cold. _If you knew, my boy._

"No, I'm perfectly fine!"

"You didn't come today. I waited for you for hours. But you never showed." His voice was broken.

Kol's breath was irregular. He was not particularly sober himself and thinking straight was harder than usual – not that it was usually easier.

"I'm sorry. Today's been hectic. My phone's dead and there were some stuff I had to look through. I'm sorry I didn't contact you. I don't know your number by heart so I couldn't call you from another phone. Really sorry, mate."

Jeremy puffed on his cigaret, which was not a cigaret Kol realized. The boy was smoking drugs and drinking. At just sixteen.

"Look at the state of you!" Kol patronized. "What happened to you? Don't tell me you got pissed just because of me!"

Kol emitted a nervous laugh. The whole idea was ridiculous.

"I though you were dead," Jeremy repeated in his low voice, his eyes lost in the distance.

Kol faced him and took the bottle from his hand: "Now, why would you think that?" He took a sip of the amber liquid.

"Everybody I come to care about just die. I think I'm cursed."

Kol frowned but remained silent. He sat next to him and gulped a few sips before giving the bottle back to the boy who offered him his joint in exchange. Kol eyed it curiously but accepted it still. The taste was bittersweet.

He flinched a bit when he felt the boy lean against him and rest his head of his shoulder. His body was so warm, his breath so sweet. Kol relaxed and rested his own head back against the trunk. They drank and smoked in a comforted silence.

"I like you," Jeremy admitted after a while.

Kol swallowed hard and frowned.

"Don't you leave me," Jeremy continued

Kol remained silent for a while, completely numb by the combination of weed and whiskey.

"I ain't going nowhere," he finally replied

He heard Jeremy sigh, obviously satisfied with his answer. Kol took another gulp of whiskey and kept on enjoying the quiet night with the warm company of a dozing human boy.

* * *

**There you go! I know, the end was terribly sappy and for this I am truly sorry but I am on a Kolremy rush (blame it on the episode).**


	7. VII

**Hi guys! Okay, so the last episode ruined my Kolremy mood. Baby Elena overpowering an Original? Really? This show has gotten bad. Plain and simple. It is bad. The second season was the best in my opinion. But the fourth...**

**However, _however_, I did spot some Kolremy moments. Yes I did! The moment when Kol stared at that picture of Jeremy, anyone? I mean, I'm pretty damn sure there was _longing_ in Kol's eyes! And the kitchen scene. Was not that scene so damn kinky?! I mean where did Kol find those straps? And so fast? Did he pull them out from his Magician hat?! The fact that Kol promised Jeremy he would give him _his blood_ to heal him? That makes me want to write a fic about that! Anyway, many ambiguous Kolremy moments... And I read on some board that Jeremy is supposed to have a ghostly visitor soon... I'm not completely done hoping Kol might be back (even if there is 10% chance he and Jeremy might be an item anytime soon).  
**

**I also enjoyed Nate's portrait of Kol. The last two episodes showed that Kol could care and did have emotions. They cast a new light on that supposedly heartless character.  
**

**Anyway, off with the chapter!  
**

**Once again, I thank all my readers and kind reviewers. Thank you all a thousand times!  
**

* * *

VII.

As he was waiting in front of the building, he pondered for the hundredth time why he had accepted the boy's offer to go see a movie. Really, he had no idea. Damn, he did not even know what a movie was (well, _technically_ he did but...)! He ran a nervous hand through his hair. He only had himself to blame; after all, he had promised the boy the day following their emotional outpouring he would call him as soon as he got a new phone. And not only had he rushed to the store first thing in the morning, but he immediately sent the human a message as soon as the phone was activated... He shook his head at his own weakness.

Jeremy arrived five minutes and thirty two seconds late (Kol had counted), his hair slightly tousled, a small smile gracing his full lips.

"Hey, buddy!" he greeted Kol who smiled in return without even being aware of it, "I hope I didn't make you wait for too long..."

"Oh no! I always arrive on time. That's one of my trademarks! I think I have a clock inside my head!"

Jeremy smirked, "Are you a time psycho or something?"

"Among other things..." he replied mysteriously

The human frowned slightly. _Oops!_

"You really are full of mystery!"

"It's part of my charm!"

"I guess..." Jeremy mumbled, reddening a little

Kol hummed his blood as discretely as possible. He craved for a taste. Besides, the boy' skin looked so soft and tender, it would be bliss to bite into it. He groaned under his breath. He wondered for a moment if Jeremy would enjoy it. He briefly imagined the boy squirming beneath him, begging for more and Kol's pants began to feel uncomfortably constricted.

"Are you alright?"

Kol snapped out of his fantasy and locked his gaze with concerned brown orbs.

"Yeah sorry I was lost in my thoughts..."

Jeremy's frown deepened, "You're odd sometimes!" he said, his voice deprived of any animosity

"Yeah, I'm often told..."

They remained silent for a short while during which Kol did his utmost to calm his body and urges. Jeremy broke the silence eventually, "So, what kind of movie do you fancy?"

Kol realized the boy was looking at the posters above them. With a raised eyebrow, he mimicked him. To be honest, none of the posters appealed to him.

"So?" the boy insisted

"I don't know. It's up to you, mate!"

They eventually settled for a horror movie that Kol would have been unable to summarize. First, little of what he saw made any sense to him – where was that damn ghost? - second, the nice fellow on the nearby seat distracted him greatly. But who would blame him? Jeremy's reactions were much more entertaining than this... movie. The way his mouth moved when he chewed on his pop corn, the way his eyes tinkled whenever one of the character screamed or was killed (that boy appreciated violence, which was a very nice quality as far as Kol was concerned) or the few times he flinched when said characters' bones broke – well, he was still human after all.

He really was too distracting. Kol made a mental note to call Nick soon after to inquire about their current situation. His mind began to drift into fantasy again as he imagined the boy displayed like a ragged toll for his personal pleasure. His breath quickened and he felt the sudden urge to either grab himself or the oblivious human on his left. As one of the characters screamed on the screen, he closed his eyes, the scream adopting Jeremy's voice, his tongue slowly running on the boy's wounded flesh to taste the sweetness of his blood. He snapped his eyes open, his fangs had unconsciously elongated. God, he needed to get out of here quickly; possibly before he made a mess. He abruptly stood up.

"Whassup?" Jeremy asked, pop corn in process to be eaten

"Restrooms," Kol articulated without looking at him – it would have been his downfall

He exited the dark place as fast as human speed could take him. Back in the hall, he scanned the area for a bathroom which he eventually found. He grabbed a poor dude who had just opened the door of a stall and locked them up inside.

"Don't make a sound," he compelled him

His face morphed and he bit harshly into the flesh while grinning his hips against his. _Chestnut hair. Big brown eyes. Full kissable lips._ He drank more urgently. His movements became rougher, disjointed. _Such a beautiful mouth. Flawless skin. Blood rushing furiously. Beating heart. Pop corn being crushed._ He came hard and let go of the man who had been dead for a while anyway. His body collapsed with a thud on the linoleum floor. Kol rested his forehead against the thin wall of the stall, waiting for his breath to calm.

He wanted that boy so terribly.

He had to call Niklaus. The wait was killing him. He would do something nasty if he knew not how long he would have to wait before he could claim his prize. Just as he took his new phone to call his brother, a detail came back in mind: Niklaus' number was in the speed dial of his recently deceased telephone. And nowhere else. He sighed heavily, defeated. Even more when he became aware of the mess he had just made.

He left the stall without unlocking the door; if Jeremy were to know there was a drained human in the toilet, he could make a link between his absence and the corpse. Kol wanted to avoid a scandal at any cost.

After a quick cleaning, he made his way back to the projection room.

"What took so long?" Jeremy asked when he was back in his seat, "the movie's almost over..."

_If you knew how little I care!_ He checked his phone, he had been gone for half an hour. _Oops!_

"There was a lot of people... Sorry..."

Jeremy raised his eyebrows but did not say anything to which Kol was grateful.

They left the cinema in relative silence.

"So, what you wana do, now?" Jeremy asked

Kol looked up at him. Jeremy's eyes were full of expectation, "It's still early," he justified, "unless you have something more important to do..."

Something more important than spending some quality time with a delicious blood bag? No, Kol could not think of anything more important at the moment.

"Wana go get a drink?" he proposed

"I wish I could... Just sixteen, remember?" he said pointing at himself, a grimace on his face

Kol's face lit up, "Don't worry about that! Come on!"

"But..."

"Won't be a problem!"

The boy laughed, bathing Kol in his light.

They entered a small, quaint, badly lit bar with a strong medieval atmosphere, from the music to the tables.

"They'll ask for my ID..." Jeremy began, uncomfortable

"No they won't."

Kol knew he would have to use discreet compulsion on the staff. It was risky – Jeremy could catch him any moment... Kol grinned inwardly; he had never been able to resist a good challenge.

"What do you want to drink?" he casually asked

"A beer is fine by me."

"Wicked!" he said, standing up to go to the counter to order

He waited for Jeremy to check on his phone to focus on the bartender, "My friend is 21 and will not need to have his ID checked. Nor will you ask for it. You will let him drink whatever he wants, how much he wants without any question. You and I are long time acquaintances and you're doing me a favor."

The man nodded distractedly. Kol smiled, satisfied.

"Order's done!" he announced Jeremy who grinned, "Two blonds on the go!"

"You sure it's gonna be alright?!"

Kol rolled his eyes. Had this boy anxieties or something? Oh wait, yes he had, "Positive. Zach is an old friend of mine and he owes me. You gonna be fine."

Their beer were served without mishap. They drank while chit-chatting until Jeremy's phone rang.

"Sorry, my sister. I gotta answer before she calls for the military."

Kol frowned and nickered.

"Elena," Jeremy began, looking more than displeased, "yes I'm still alive. Look I'm with a friend now. Can you call later?" Kol began to panic. If he told her his name, he would be screwed. "Alright. Okay. Bye."

He put his phone back in his pocket, "Sorry about that."

Kol shook his head to show there was nothing to forgive, "Overprotective siblings, I know all about it!"

"Yeah..."

Kol frowned again. The boy looked defeated although he did not understand why given that Elena had not said much on the phone. "You're alight, mate?"

"Yeah, I'm fine..."

"Don't look fine to me. Did she say something that upset you?"

Jeremy emitted a bitter laugh, "No and that's the problem! She never says anything! I'm the innocent little kid that needs to be protected and left in the shadow."

Kol lowered his head. Elena's behavior strangely reminded him of Nik's, "Tell me about it. My brother does exactly likewise. I'm the stupid brat that needs to be controlled all the time... Even if my sister is no better!"

"You didn't tell me you had a sister!"

_Oops_.

"Yeah, she's younger than me! Whatever... We're better off by ourselves!"

"Yep! To ourselves!" Jeremy said, raising his glass. Kol smirked lightly and they clinked glasses. "You know," Jeremy said again after a while, "Elena's not even my true sister."

Kol raised his eyebrows, "How so?"

"She was adopted!"

Kol almost chocked on his drink. The Doppelganger? Adopted? He had not seen that one coming!

They ordered their second pint.

"My brother is only my half brother," Kol said after a few sips. He had absolutely no idea as to why he confessed such personal things. He simply could not help it. The alcohol was making his head spin ever so lightly and he felt comfortable. Then again, even alcohol free, he felt comfortable around that boy, no matter what.

"Really?"

"Mmh. My mother cheated on my father."

"And what did your father say?"

_He has tried to murder my brother ever since_, "He never knew about it. My parents died and my father never knew. I think it's for the best... He would have been disappointed to see our family ruined. We were all so close as a family..."

Jeremy was staring at him intensely. Kol realized he had been carried away a bit too much, "I'm sorry. Fucked up memories..."

"No problem, pal. Our lives are quite fucked up!"

"Yes!"

They laughed.

A couple of pints more downed, they traded beer for shots of vodka and a game of baby-foot. Kol was new to the game. And he was drunk. A quick glance at a laughing Jeremy indicated him the boy was in no better shape. They downed another shot and Kol scored a goal. He jumped, his arms raised in joyful victory, knocking one of his empty shooter to the ground.

"How did you do it?" asked a befuddled Jeremy

Somewhere in his alcoholic fog, Kol realized he had probably used his speed without even noticing it. He shrugged, "I'm perfect!"

Jeremy shook his head and rolled his eyes.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

It was already dark when they left the bar. They were both stumbling on the road and laughing at nothing, completely drunk.

"Where are we going?" Jeremy asked

"No idea!" Kol tittered

They arrived on a playground field. Jeremy squeaked hysterically and ran toward the nearest toboggan.

"Come on, Kol!" he yelled, his voice full of excitement

Kol chuckled, "You serious, mate?"

"Come on!" cheered Jeremy as he slid down the toboggan, arms raised.

Kol was waiting for him at the bottom, a grin plastered on his face.

"You're such a kid!"

Jeremy nickered before standing up and tapping Kol' shoulder, "You're it!" he said before sprinting with a titter

Kol chuckled again and chased him at human speed. Jeremy was pretty quick for a human as he kept on running, calling for him, roaring with laughter. Eventually, Kol cheated a little, too drunk to care – Jeremy was equally lost in his little world to notice anything.

Kol reached him by the waist and they collapsed on the grass, still laughing, short of breath. They remained silent, laid on the grass, arms spread, their hands almost touching. Just like Jeremy, Kol stared at the stars above him.

"Why do you write your name with a K?" asked Jeremy after a while

The question took Kol off-guard, "I use the Runic alphabet..."

"You from a family of Vikings?" Jeremy joked

Kol turned his head to face Jeremy, "What if I am?!"

Jeremy mimicked him, "That'd be cool!"

Kol smiled, "Why 'Jeremy'?"

"Why not?!" he replied with the same smile

They kept staring at each other for a moment. Eventually, Kol went back to his silent observation of the night sky. After a short while however, he turned his head again to check on Jeremy. To his astonishment, he found the boy looking at him, his gaze intense and oddly predatory. Kol frowned. _What the...?_ Before he could react, he felt a gentle pressure on his lips. It took him a couple of seconds to realize Jeremy had just kissed him. A very quick, chaste kiss. But a kiss nevertheless.

The vampire was stunned. Jeremy's face flushed, shy and embarrassed. It was enough for Kol to lose it. He crashed their mouths together, standing on his forearm to support himself and get closer to the human. Jeremy's lips parted and Kol tasted sweetness. Raw desire and fear mingled as he felt the boy's tongue touch his. He was not going to be able to control himself. He was not sober enough. He needed blood and he craved Jeremy's. _No! No, no, no, no, no! Please! Not now! _Dreadful realization hit him; he did not want to hurt the boy. However, the monster inside decided otherwise as it began to stir, claiming his due. His grip on Jeremy' shoulder tightened. A tad more strength and he would reduce his bone to powder. _Don't! Control yourself! It's just a kiss!_ He was on the edge to morph. _Don't! Control yourself!_ He could hear Jeremy's heart thundering in his chest, his blood rushing down his veins. His body felt so soft, so pliable against his. _Breakable_. It was excruciatingly delicious.

The kiss ended, their faces merely a few inches apart. They gazed at each other, hard and panting.

"I've wanted to do that for weeks, now," Jeremy confessed beneath him with shining eyes

Kol ran his thumb over the soft skin of the boy's cheekbone. Unable to speak, he gave an answer his own way; he kissed him again, gentle and slow.

_Stupid boy!_

* * *

**There you go! **_  
_

**Before I leave you to your comment (or not), I would like to precise that the very last sentence is not an insult but rather Kol expressing his irritation toward his inability to resist a simple human boy. I have been told that some readers were somewhat confused with Kol's point of view. I am truly sorry about this. I hope this chapter was okay.  
**


	8. VIII

**Hello guys! Useless to say that I am very, very upset with Jeremy's death. He was the last of my favorite characters. Now Elijah must come back or the show will become extremely dull. I actually cried during that scene... At least Kol and Jeremy have been reunited now and they can have plenty of sex on the other side! (I'm trying to think positively here so bear with me)**

**Anyway, here comes the new chapter. It's longer than usual; my way of paying a tribute to the demise of those two amazing and mistreated characters. Oh and Micheal Trevino leaving the show too... The amount of good characters has been brutally diminished... No more Kol, no more Jeremy, no more Tyler and soon no more Originals... I think the show will lose so much audience it will finally have to be canceled...**

**A big thank you to all my readers. You guys rock!**

* * *

VIII.

He put his hand in front of his face to shed his eyes from the burning sunlight. His head throbbed uncomfortably. He groaned. _Stupid alcohol_. He grimaced and proceeded to remembering his previous night. He remembered laughter, a toboggan and soft lips.

_Oh no!_

He tightly shut his eyes and puckered his lips in anger. He had kissed that aggravatingly irresistible human boy – _three times_ – run his fingers on the boy's face – _gently –_ smiled to him – _tenderly_. God! How many drinks had he exactly consumed to act so out of character?

He took the pillow beneath him and tossed it across the room, breaking a vase in the process. Doing over friendly things with the boy had never been part of the deal, at least not until Klaus gave him the green light. What was he going to do, he wondered as he paced from one side to the other side of the room. What was going to happen now? He could not even compel Jeremy to forget... unless he blamed his behavior on the alcohol... _But Jeremy knows you're queer_. Dammit! There was no easy way out!

He got down the stairs to go get some coffee in the kitchen. Moving into Helen's flat had been a brilliant idea. The girl was currently watching the TV, curled up on the sofa.

"You look like shit!" she greeted, turning to face him

"Good morning to you too!" Kol groaned

She knitted her eyebrows: "What's up? You were out all night! Were you with him?!"

Kol rolled his eyes, she was so curious, "Aye, I was..." he answered from the kitchen

"And?"

"And I lost it!" _Will you shut up?_

He walked back to the living room with his mug of coffee.

"Oh! Did you kill him?"

He rubbed his temples to try to keep his cool, she really was getting on his nerves, "No, worse."

"Worse than killing him? What could be worse?"

He sighed, "Humans and their irritating naivety!"

"But..."

"I kissed him! There! Happy?" she opened her mouth to say something but Kol was faster, "now if you do not stop talking, I will compel you to sew your lips shut! You wouldn't want that, now would you?" She shook her head vehemently, he smiled, "good! Then keep quiet!" She nodded.

"Your wrist, please."

She grimaced but complied, she knew better than to argue with him. She only jumped and winced when he slashed her wrist open with his thumb to let her warm blood pour into his coffee. As soon as he released her arm, she gathered her bleeding wrist against her and curled up in the armchair. Kol handed her a handkerchief that she took in haste.

After that, the only noise in the room came from the TV.

Kol sipped on his coffee. Although he looked poised, he was inwardly waging a war against himself. He simply was unable to understand how he could have been so careless. So weak. That was not him. Kol was not weak. Kol did not kiss mortals on the grass of playground fields. His previous actions arose thousands of questions he had no answer for. He was supposed to meet the boy at the batting cages tomorrow, as usual. How to behave? Did the boy think they were now _dating_? The word made him shiver. And at the same time, he could not forget how Jeremy had felt against him. He remembered the red cheeks and glowing eyes. _And those lips_. He was dying to taste them again. He shook his head when he realized he was daydreaming. How could he have fallen so low? His own words echoed in his head, _"Settling for mortals is the first sign of weakness." _He took a sip of his coffee and swallowed a mouthful of irony. He could hear himself laugh with the boy and see his fingers travel along his skin with a sickening gentleness.

_You're no better than Rebekah now. At least Klaus has fallen for a vampire._

He was pathetic.

"What's going to happen, now?" he finally asked. When he got no reply from his charming blood bag and host, he rolled his eyes, "You may speak again."

"What do you mean?"

"With the boy..."

"Oh..." She was hesitant, he could sense it.

"Speak freely, I will not harm you... No matter how displeased with your answers I might be."

She considered his words for a moment before eventually speaking, "Well, it depends on how things actually happened..."

"Oh! You mean "if I harshly assaulted his mouth"... Nope, sorry to disappoint your wild imagination but it didn't quite happen like that... He made the first move actually."

"Oh!" she whispered, looking surprised

"Another one who could not resist my good looks..." Kol sighed, eyes lost in the distance

"Well, then, maybe you should see how he feels before taking a decision..."

"Do you think he will see me any differently now? Do you think he thinks we're... _dating_?" he spat the word

"I think you should talk to him. Clarify things a little..."

"And what am I supposed to say? That I had had too much to drink and wasn't thinking clearly when I kissed him... twice?" he asked, appalled by his own behavior

"That could work..."

Kol rubbed his hands together and grinned, "Then I'll do that!" He remained silent until he remembered something, "oh and by the way, how did I make it home yesterday?"

Helen raised her eyebrows, "You don't remember?"

"Nope."

Kol spent the morning pacing around. After a couple of hours dedicated to the marking of every single inch of the flooring with his feet, he decided to go for a walk. On his way, he found a nice snack he brought home with him.

Once the snack consumed and discarded on the bed, he stretched.

"I'm so bored!" he whined, "Helen, pet, come here!"

The girl's head emerged from behind the door. She gagged at the sight of the bloody mess that used to be her bedroom.

"What do you want?"

"I'm bored. Entertain me!"

"I have to go to work!" she complained

Kol yawned lazily, "Not my bloody problem! Be useful and entertain me!"

"I'm not some poodle in a circus!" she snapped with disdain

Kol's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Indeed, you're my human toy and at the moment, I need my toy to distract me, so you'd better oblige before _I_ resort to more personal ways of amusement. Ways I'm not sure you'll find _funny_!"

She swallowed, "I need to go to work..."

She jumped as Kol smashed his fist on the end-table, reducing it to wood pieces, "A detail that is no concern of mine."

"If I don't go, I'm fired and I won't be able to pay the bills for this place you seem to enjoy so much!"

"And I will kill you to end your misery! See, every problem has its solution!" he smiled humorlessly

She took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, "What do you want me to do?"

"That's my girl!"

He pushed the corpse off the bed with a quick gesture and patted the newly empty spot beside him. He saw her gag but said nothing. She sat. He smiled a big happy smile at her to which she only replied with a disgusted grimace.

"Truth or dare?" he asked after a moment of silence

After a particularly lively game of Truth or Dare and only a couple of blackouts for sweet Helen – for a reason that was completely beyond Kol's understanding, she had favored actions to questions which was a silly move considering the rather creative imagination of the Original – Kol decided to cook lunch.

He had opted for a pepperoni pizza. He had never cooked any pizza before. The result was not so much of a disaster as he had thought. Slightly burned maybe but still eatable.

"So?" he asked Helen as she took a tentative bite

He impatiently waited for her to swallow as he himself took another big bite of his masterpiece.

She nodded, "It's good."

Kol beamed and they ate in silence.

"Kol, why is there an empty blood bag on the counter?" she asked after a moment of silence

Kol swallowed and looked at her as if she had spoken in a foreign language. Her eyes traveled back and forth between the bag and her pizza.

_Oops..._

There was a _small_ detail Kol had probably _omitted_ to share with her, "Um... I may have tried a more personal recipe. I haven't told you?"

She stopped chewing, "What?"

"I couldn't find any tomato purée..." he tried to justify himself

The girl let go of her fork, "I hate you" she mumbled, her mouth still full

He patted her hand, "Water?" he proposed with his most angelic smile

_If eyes could kill..._

At the end of the day, his phone buzzed. _"We have to talk, Klaus."_

Kol frowned for a second, "How did he get my number?"

"You smashed the phone, not the subscription," Helen answered, the word _"idiot"_, although strongly implied, was unpronounced

"Oh..." He remained confused for a moment before breaking his frown into a big toothy smile, "Oh!"

The mission was probably fulfilled, _at last_! Jeremy would be his! His own beautiful human puppet that he would kiss and touch and bleed and make _his, again and again and again!_ His eyes shone as those of a child on Christmas Eve. He felt like dancing. He would not have to struggle with embarrassing explanations. He suddenly frowned and pouted as it also meant there would be no more Saturday afternoons at the batting cages, no more excited meetings, no more surprising kisses... That was not cool. Oh well! He would just have to compel him! His smiled returned.

Helen, who was reading a paper on the sofa, rolled her eyes desperately as she saw him bouncing all over the place like some cartoon character.

"Maniac," she muttered

Kol dialed Niklaus' number in haste, almost piercing the buttons in the process. The phone rang three times before his brother picked up – it felt like a lifetime for Kol.

"What's up, brother!" Kol greeted, excitement dripping from his words. They were just a formality. The only thing that mattered was that soon Jeremy would belong to him and he would make him scream and squeak and moan and...

"Finn is dead."

Kol's dream shattered.

"What?"

"The Doppelganger and her little friends. There was an ambush and Finn was killed."

Kol was silent for a while until he remembered something that made him frown, "But we're still alive. How's that we're still alive? I thought mother had linked us as one."

"That's the fortunate part. Last week when I called you, I had the Bennett witch with me. She undid the spell."

Kol felt his blood boil, "And, _of course_, you didn't find it _necessary_ to inform me."

"Things have been hectic over here, I couldn't find much time to contact you."

"As usual", he muttered between clenched teeth

"Stop whining, will you, there are some elements you should know about."

"Glad to be let into the secret for once... What is it?"

"The White oak tree had been replanted a few centuries after we fled back to the Old World."

Kol's breath shortened, "What?"

"It's burned to the ground once again but Elena and her minions managed to make stakes out of it!"

"WHAT!" he yelled as he pulled on his hair

"Relax, brother! Rebekah and I traded eight of the stakes for Damon Salvatore's life and we're still waiting for the last three to destroy them all. Everything is under control. I just thought you should know."

"Under control?" Kol screamed hysterically, "Yeah right! Finn is dead and there are weapons in free circulation that could send us straight to Hell!"

Klaus' voice hardened, "I said that everything was fine. We'll get those stakes in no time. Keep watching the boy. The witch now knows we have him as leverage and if things get nasty we'll need it more than ever. Do you understand?"

"But I..."

"Do as I say. I'll let you know if anything comes up."

He hung up.

For the second time in only two weeks, Kol crashed the phone in his fist and sunk to his knees. His brother was dead. To be fair, Finn had been desiccated for so long, it almost felt as if he were already dead, and playing the sacrificial lamb had not really helped renew family bonds. But in the end, Finn was still his brother. And he was gone forever. _Damon Salvatore_. That arrogant prick he had met with Sage back in the nineteenth century. Kol clenched his fists. _We're still waiting for the last three_. Three stakes were sill in the possession of those Golden Boys. What a treat! Klaus and Rebekah were in danger. They could be permanently killed. The threat was real. For the first time in centuries, they were no longer unattainable. His eyes stung with unshed tears.

He needed something to appease his rage. Helen, who had most probably sensed an impending diplomatic incident, was nowhere to be seen.

He gritted his teeth and remained knelt in the middle of the living room.

He felt so lonely. Nik had only let him know to better use him as a killer tool, not because he _wanted_ him to know. Gee, he had not even told him about the spell being removed! The prick! Angry and frustrated, he tossed an empty can nearby and dug a hole into the sofa it hit. _Oops!_ The only sibling which held some value in Niklaus' eyes was Rebekah. Pinkie Princess mattered for Pinkie Princess followed him everywhere like the loyal puppy she was. So she counted, obviously. Elijah too, but only because Klaus feared him; he was the intimidating big brother. But Kol? Insignificant to Klaus. Had always been.

He did not know what to do. A part of him wanted to go on a killing rampage but another part yearned for something else; a feeling he was not used to having. Was he really going to sink so low?

He considered his options once again. For a reason that was beyond him, the second one still felt more appealing than his usual homicidal pain killer.

He sighed. He was going to regret it, that he knew. And how was he supposed to go? He could simple not show up without warning! Or empty-handed for that matter. In spite on being a cheeky vampire, he still had some manners (when he remembered about them). After inwardly debating on what to take with him for what felt like hours, he opted for the leftovers of his homemade pizza – not that Helen would touch it ever again anyway.

Besides, he was fulling Niklaus' order like the good brother he was – the good brother Niklaus would always fail to acknowledge.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

In all honesty, he felt like a complete fool as he stood there, on the doorway, waiting for the door to open. No really, how on Earth could he think this would be a good idea? Finn's death had to have affected him more importantly than he originally thought. Never in his right mind would he act so pathetic.

He was about to turn around when the door clicked open.

"Kol?"

_Too late!_

He looked up to see Jeremy staring at him with incredulous eyes, "What are you doing here?"

If he had felt like an idiot before the door opened, it had been nothing compared to the current sentiment of shame that was making his guts twist inside.

He shook his head, "I shouldn't have come. I don't know what's got into me."

He turned to leave but the boy's hand grabbed his shoulder, "Wait!"

Jeremy was looking at him with evident concern. Kol wished he could make himself inconspicuous, so ashamed as he was.

"It's nothing... I just... wanted to say hi!" _Okay, that was lame._

Jeremy knitted his eyebrows, "Is everything alright?"

_No, my brother is dead, my other brother doesn't give a shit about me and we're all on a soon-to-be-very-dead list_, "Yeah sure! Everything's doing perfect!" he tried to smile his smuggest smile

However, the boy did not look convinced, "Uh uh... That's why you show on my door at 8pm on a Friday night with the look of someone who just lost his puppy?"

Kol's jaw clenched. Was he so readable?

_I just needed someone to talk to, I feel so alone,_ "I was bored," he shrugged

Jeremy's eyes narrowed. He did not believe him, that part was rather clear.

Kol offered him his pizza to change the subject, "Brought you this."

"Oh, er, thanks!"

"I hope I'm not disturbing you..." Kol suddenly said as Jeremy invited him in

The boy shook his head, "Nay, Alice and Peter are out. It's just you and me! Did you make that?"

Kol grimaced a bit, "Yeah... I'm still experimenting..."

The two boys sat on the couch. Jeremy brought coke and put the pizza on the coffee table in front of them. They remained like that for a while. The silence was heavy. Kol could feel the human's discomfort.

He was about to speak but Jeremy beat him, "About what happened... last time..." Jeremy began, hesitant

Kol's eyebrows shot up his hairline, "What about it?" He knew they would have had that talk sooner or later. He was just glad not to have been the one to start it. _If you say the word "boyfriend", I'll knock your eyes out._

Jeremy fidgeted on his seat, uncomfortable, "Well, I don't really know... I mean... You're a guy and all... I don't really understand what's gotten into me..."

"_I've wanted to do that for weeks now" _Kol remembered the boy's words but decided against it, "You were drunk... And I know how difficult it is to resist me... Seems like a valid explanation..."

Jeremy chuckled, "Maybe..."

Kol sighed, "Look I don't want things to be awkward between us. If you want us to forget about that little _incident_, I'm game."

Jeremy looked at him intensely, "Thank you," he said with gratitude

Kol ignored the unusual disappointment tightening in his chest, "You're welcome."

Things thus clarified, they decided to play video games while munching on their pizza (the fact that Jeremy was eating his human blood pizza was an odd turn on for Kol who had to double his effort to keep focus on the game). However, Kol did not miss the not so discrete pair of burning eyes on him.

"You know," Kol began on a light tone whilst beheading an enemy, "either we do forget about it or we go to your room to finish what we'd started but you ought to stop staring at me as if I were your next meal, cutie pie!"

Jeremy's reaction was immediate, his cheeks turned beet red and he stopped playing. Kol could not help but chuckle.

"You're so innocent, it's cute!" _I would love to have you as a pizza!_

"I..." Jeremy stammered awkwardly

Kol stopped playing as well to look at him, his eyes shinning with undisguised amusement.

"It's just..."

"That I"m absolutely impossible not to look at?" Kol joked

Jeremy lowered his head in shame. Kol put a finger under the boy's chin to force him to meet his gaze, "Hey it's okay! You don't have to be upset about it."

"It's just... I like you, Kol, I really do. But I'm just... afraid? Oh, that's lame..."

Kol' smile widened. Oh, this boy was a treat! "Is it your subtle way of saying you don't want me to touch your royal behind?"

If Jeremy looked lost before, Kol's latest sentence sent the boy into a deep of mortification. Kol rolled his eyes, he was not used to cute situations like that. He had no idea as to what to say or do. He felt completely out of place.

"Look, I think I should get going..." Kol finally decided, putting the controller on the coffee table and standing up.

Jeremy looked alarmed and grabbed his hand to hold him back, "No! Stay! I'm sorry. Look, I'm really sorry! I'm acting like some frightened maiden, it's ridiculous... I know... It's just... It's all new to me... I'm lost... I don't want you to go. Please, don't."

Kol's breath had quickened. That boy did not know the effect he had on him. It was dangerous. If things kept going the way they were, Nik would find himself lacking in leverage soon enough. Kol was not one to hold back and this human was driving him crazy with desire. He bent down toward the boy's face.

"Tell me what you want, then," he whispered, a few inches apart from the other's mouth, "What do you want, Jeremy?"

Jeremy's big brown eyes widened, his wet lips parted a little. Kol had to gather all his millennium trained self-control to keep his human face on.

"You," the boy breathed, eyes locked into Kol's, "I want you."

Kol groaned under his breath. _Stupid boy! _Why did he have to be so damn irresistible? Unable to hold back any longer, his lips met the human's in a slow heated kiss. It was even better than what Kol remembered for he was sober this time and in perfect control.

"I think we should get to my room," Jeremy whispered against Kol's lips

"You sure? If we go you know what will happen..."

"I want you. I've wanted you since the first time I saw you at that party."

A warm happiness spread through Kol's body. He could not help the big grin that plastered on his face.

"Alright then!" he kissed the boy and they climbed the stairs to his bedroom

_What are you doing, you fool? Don't do that! If you fuck him, you kill him! Stop!_

But Kol paid no heed to the shrieking voice in his head. As soon as the door was closed, he attacked the boy's mouth again. The kid was hard against him, there was no doubt about it. He was still a hormonal teenager, after all!

However, even lost in a shroud of lust, Kol was well aware of what he was. The list of the humans who had outlived their intimate moment with the Original vampire was rather short. Not to mention the physical state Kol left them in - more similar to a Picasso than a person... A brief picture invaded Kol's mind; a bloody mess of broken limbs that used to be Jeremy Gilbert.

_You can't do that. Even if you manage to miraculously control your strength, you won't be able to keep your bloodthirst at bay. He'll know what you are, and there is no way out via compulsion._

They moved to the bed. Kol pushed the boy onto the mattress and crawled above him.

He was in a dead-end. His desire was too strong to be ignored now, but he had to be careful. He could not let go or there would be no more leverage and no more cute reddening cheeks. They stopped kissing to gaze at each other. The boy was slightly shaking against him.

"Do you trust me?" _Don't_

"Yes." _No, don't_

Kol smiled and kissed him again. He wanted that boy, in a way or another. He unzipped his jeans and massaged him slowly through his boxers. The boy's eyes fluttered and Kol could not help the moan that escaped his lips.

He trailed kisses along his jaw and neck and gently sucked on his pulse point. His skin was so soft and warm. He could feel the boy's blood boiling, just there, right under his lips. A bit more pressure and he would taste it. _Don't!_

He moved downward slowly. He heard the boy's breath caught in his throat as he freed the engorged member from its material prison. He hesitated a bit, too afraid to squeeze the delicate organ too harshly without notice. Instead of taking any risk with his hand, he decided to take him in his mouth instead. The kid's lips emitted delicious sounds that drove Kol absolutely crazy. The boy's heart was pounding inside the throbbing member and Kol felt as if he had the boy's heart directly pulsing against his tongue. The sensation was exhilarating. He alternated between slow licks and deep sucking to send the boy into a spiral of pure ecstasy. Kol was taking his time. He wanted to properly taste him. However, it was not the only reason; as disturbing as it was, Kol realized that he wanted Jeremy to enjoy it as much as he did. And that was unusual. Kol was not used to caring about his partner's pleasure... And yet, he was making sure the boy was having maximum enjoyment...

A few minutes of his expert ministrations were enough to have Kol's throat coated in a warm and bitter substance. He swallowed and let go of the softening organ. He looked up and frown when he saw the horrified look on the human's face, "I'm so sorry!" the boy apologized

"About what?"

"I should have warned you... It's just that it was so good... Whoa!"

_Is he for real? _"Don't apologize! I didn't do anything that I didn't want to do!"

Jeremy smiled shyly to him and Kol smirked. He laid down next to him while Jeremy regained his breath.

"That was brilliant!" the kid said, short of breath

"I know!" Kol only replied

Jeremy turned his face to look at him. There was a hesitant glow in his eyes. Kol was still painfully hard.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Kol whispered

Despite his apparent selflessness, Kol was inwardly dreading. He was frustrated. Very _very_ frustrated. Kol was not selfless. Of course he wanted to take his pleasure. Of course he wanted the boy to touch him. Of course he wanted to get buried to the hilt inside of his warm and pliable body. But he had no certainty concerning his ability to keep control of the monster inside him in a moment of complete abandon.

"I want to taste you, too," Jeremy confessed, "but I'm afraid I will make a fool of myself..."

Kol chuckled uncomfortably. _And I'm afraid I will smash your skull. Or the mattress. Or the mattress and your skull..._

Jeremy was still looking at him, "I need to touch you..." he reached to stroke his cheek

Kol stiffened, unused to such blatant tenderness. What would happen if he had those luscious lips wrapped around him? A mess... A mess would happen.

Jeremy positioned himself on his elbow to look down at him, "Will you let me?"

Kol held his gaze, "Make a fool of yourself?" he joked to hide his discomfort

Jeremy smirked. Kol swallowed and grabbed the boy's collar to kiss him hard, unable to resist him. Jeremy's hand lowered to his waistband and cupped him gently. He unconsciously bucked into the kid's hand. That was it. In a few minutes, Klaus would lose his precious leverage in a passionate slaughter.

However, when he felt the boy's warm fingers slip past his boxer, the front door clicked.

"Jeremy?" said a muffled voice

Jeremy removed his hand as if he had been burned, "Alice!" he hissed

Kol sighed. _Saved by the bell! _"I think I should go..."

"You can stay if you want."

Kol shook his head, "What would you tell her? I gotta go before she checks on you..." _Coward!_

He walked to the window, "I'll see you tomorrow, then?!" he winked as he climbed down the drainpipe to escape his most delightful fate. _Coward!_

"Bye!" Jeremy whispered from his window

Kol smiled. As he was back on the main avenue, he realized that during his few hours with the delicious human boy, he had not thought about Finn's demise, Klaus or the stakes.

His option had been a good one. Jeremy was a perfect distraction.

* * *

**There you go!**

**I am not entirely satisfied with the lime scene... I could not transcript exactly what I wanted to convey. That's the problem with words. The pizza scene is disgusting I know. But that's Kol... You won't change him. I'm not even sure it was intentional. He had probably forgotten about the small detail or just did not care enough...**

**I hope you liked it!**


	9. IX

**Hello everybody! I know, I know, this chapter is coming up late! It was a bit difficult to write so bear with me.**

**Anyway, as I had assumed, TVD without Jeremy is utterly _boring_. Emotionless Elena is even worse than emotional Elena, which is an exploit, I did not even know I could dislike her more than I already did! Oh and the scene between Klaus and Hayley? Completely _pointless_, the most out of the blue moment of the season. A big WTF! I mean why would Hayley all of a sudden hit on Klaus? She hates him! The writers did an awful job, it sounded so fake, so forced, like the plot of a bad porno. As in, "we need to have a sex scene with Klaus, with a female character not to shock our fangirl audience who fantasizes on Joseph and will need to identify to the girl (of course... T_T). Let's see the female characters available. Well, Rebekah is his sister and incest is bad, Caroline is off limits because we want to frustrate people as much as we can (even if I don't ship them myself), Elena is already as slutty as slutty goes and Bonnie is too pure to do such a thing. Hey, I know: let's take Hayley!" T_T Honestly, it would have been more logical to have Klaus sleep with Stefan. I mean, even Paul Wesley ships them (yes, he does! Said in an interview he wanted Klaus and Stefan to be lovers! Yaaaaaaaay!) I've begun to watch Game of Thrones and even this middle-aged show has a gay couple! I mean, come on TVD, you're lagging! My only hope is to have some Katherine/Elijah for next episode. Unfortunately, it might be Elijah/disguised!Elena... Of course. It's always about Elena. Oh and Rebekah is so sweet with her hope to be human again. I want to marry that girl!**

**I require a minute of silence for my three dead OTPs which will therefore never happen: Keremy, Jyler and Klefan. I have wasted so much hope on those three pairings. TVD writers have crushed my hopes to powder. Thank you guys!**

**Minute has passed, enjoy your reading!**

* * *

IX.

Kol tossed and turned in his bed all night. No matter the position he took, sleep would not come. Over and over again his mind replayed his recent deeds. Last night had been intense. Extremely frustrating, true, but absolutely intense. Besides, Kol was very proud of himself. He had resisted. Okay, he had fled like a coward at the first occasion, but on the overall, he managed to control his predatory urges, making of Jeremy Gilbert the very first human to remain unscathed after an intimate moment with the Original vampire. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was a true achievement in itself!

Kol could not help but wonder which direction things would have taken though, had they not been interrupted. Surely Jeremy would look like an abstract sculpture by now. Or perhaps would have Kol just destroyed the furniture instead... blowing his cover up and leaving Jeremy ready to call the Mystic Falls NASA at his rescue. Probably.

Whatever the option, a disaster would have ensued.

But Kol did not have to be upset about it for nothing of the sort had happened – except of course for his mistreated libido so unused to ever be mistreated. He imagined in spite of himself the boy's warm fingers on his skin. Gentle and shy. He scowled. Time was not for sappy fantasies. He had to sleep if he wanted to wake up early to get a new phone before Niklaus came up with a new antics of his. Besides, it was baseball day with Jeremy today. His only disappointment was that the boy would be too much clothed... But at least the beast would not go all excited again – not too overwhelmingly anyway.

The vampire turned on his back and closed his eyes.

Night passed, sleep never came.

He was in a relative good mood the next morning, in spite of his numerous hours spent watching the ceiling. Helen was gone God knew where, in a likely attempt at preserving herself from Kol's volatile temper – which was always the safest. He did not even take the time to gulp some coffee and rushed to the nearest store to get a new phone.

After that, he waited. He strolled in the streets; none of the humans around appealed to him, he only cared for big brown eyes and clumsy limbs. By noon, he received a message from Jeremy. His mouth automatically spread into a smile as he deciphered the few pixellated words:

"_Sorry about last night. That sucks you had to leave so abruptly (no pun intended!). See you later, mate! XoX"_

He wanted to scowl himself for his corny reaction but oddly enough lacked in will to do so. In fact, he was looking very forward to seeing Jeremy this afternoon – not that he would ever admit it out loud.

Today promised to be quite nice indeed! He bumped into a woman and apologized with a smile. Nothing could taint his happiness.

By 2pm, he made his way to the batting cages, eager and excited.

At first, when he heard Jeremy's voice, he thought the boy was on the phone again. Only that this time, Elena's voice sounded strangely clear. For a second, Kol thought his vampire hearing was playing some dirty trick on him. That was until he heard the third voice.

_Salvatore's voice_.

He stopped dead in his track and strained his ears.

"Well I can't" Jeremy was saying, "I talked to Anna and Vicky because I knew them. I've never even met Rose!"

_Rose! As in the runaway idiot who betrayed his brother for the Petrova bitch' sake? _This was no phone conversation. They were actually here.

"Why it comes that you died and came back to life and can't talk to a ghost when I need you too?"

Kol gritted his teeth. _Salvatore._

"Rose spent a long time running from Klaus as well. She and Damon were close so maybe we can use him as a connection..."

That was enough. Kol would not take any more of this. He wanted to scream, to destroy, to smash anything he could reach. That was a nightmare. For the second time in less than twenty four hours, he felt sheer dread encompassing his every cell. The warm bubble in which he had been cooped up with Jeremy during all these weeks burst and tears threatened to strain through his dry skin. That could not be true. Damon Salvatore and Elena could not be here. They could not destroy everything he had with Jeremy.

Except that they would. Kol very much knew it. The game was over. They were going to take Jeremy away from him. They were going to make a monster of him to the boy.

He refused to give up without a fight, though. After all, he was Kol Mikaelson. He stepped into the light and tried his utmost to ignore the burning pain in his chest when he saw Elena and Salvatore standing at each side of Jeremy.

The game was over.

Jeremy immediately acknowledged his presence.

"Fine, fine, can we do this later, my friend just got here."

Kol walked stiffly to them. He smiled to a random person when all he wanted to do was to kill and scream bloody murder.

He smiled to Jeremy. He smiled to Elena. The girl promptly recognized him and paled. And that _fucking Salvatore prick_. Kol did not even think. His brain had stopped working. He was on pure animal mode.

They were going to take Jeremy away from him. His hard gained friendship with the boy would soon evaporate in thin air as if it never existed.

He kept silence instead and did the thing he had longed to do for those past ten minutes.

_He smashed_.

He hit that prick's face with his bat wiling to beat the annoying intruder to a pulp.

_What the fuck do you think you're doing? Coming here like that? Uninvited?!_ He wanted to scream.

Jeremy's voice stung his ears, "What the hell you're doing?"

And Kol wanted to laugh. And he wanted to go insane. And he wanted to yell, to take the boy away and secure him in their bubble.

"Jeremy get back, he's an Original!"

_SHUT UP! _He wanted to scream to that bitch. _How dare you do that to me? Don't say more! You're only making it worse._

The game was over. The thick material of betrayal chocked him. He had lost. Everything was lost. It was too late to secure Jeremy in their bubble now, the boy would no longer let him close. If they were going to become enemies, he would make the first move. He could not bear hearing a rejection from the boy's mouth.

"No hard feelings mate, but we're not buds!"

Jeremy frowned, confused and perhaps hurt.

_I'm sorry, Jeremy. I'm sorry. It's not real. It's a lie._

And Kol wanted to smash and destroy some more. That moronic Salvatore was going to pay for his unwanted intrusion. However, he only felt a sharp pain in his stomach and was engulfed in welcoming darkness.

_It's a lie._

Somewhere, in the depth of his mind, he registered the muffled sound of a voice calling to him. He felt something poke him on the shoulder several times, each time stronger than the last. He snapped his eyes open and took in his surroundings. He was still at the batting cages only laid on the ground, an uncomfortable pressure in his chest.

A few persons were bent over him, worry evident in their eyes. He was confused and disoriented.

"I'm fine," he croaked as he heard someone mention an ambulance, "where is Jeremy?"

He removed the broken wooden bat from his chest with a wince, ignoring the gasping humans gawking above him. He could feel the wound closing already. One insisted to call an ambulance, another said it was already done. Silly humans who always had to snoop.

_And not just humans_, he recalled.

Jeremy. Jeremy knew the truth. Jeremy was gone. The pain in his chest returned altogether. A different kind of pain. Oppressive. Smothering. He rid himself of the humans with a compulsion – in spite of his fierce need to kill them, a public multi-murder would have brought up suspicion.

He got up and took a couple of bats as souvenirs. The wooden one was Jeremy's.

He dismally walked for hours, his senses oddly diminished and focused on the internal turmoil of his heart. He had loathed Nik when he was first given that mission. He had despised Jeremy. And yet, the boy's warmth and light had contaminated him to his very core. He had fueled a reborn innocence in Kol, a desire to be alive.

The vampire pushed the doors of a bar. It took him a moment to recognize the place as the quaint medieval bar in which he had spent that delightful evening with the human boy.

He ordered a double whiskey which he downed in a mere second. Then another. And another. And another again.

The tingling in his chest would swell whenever he put the empty glass back on the counter to have it refilled for more. He wanted all those blissful weeks to be gone from his memory, to pass away into oblivion. He could not believe how awful things had turned in only a day. Last night they almost became lovers and now they had drowned in nothingness. Jeremy was likely to hate him now. He probably felt betrayed and disgusted to have been intimate with a blood-sucking fiend. And Kol was angry. So angry. Every inch of the bar was filled with Jeremy's ghost.

He remembered the last two nights he had spent with the boy so vividly, his actual sight looked dull in comparison. He longed for a kiss, an embrace, any contact; a contact he would have never again, he knew this much.

He crushed the glass he had in his hand, then the silly babyfoot on which Jeremy and he had played. He snapped the neck of the humans who tried to escape or – more foolishly – stop him. He smashed, and slashed, and broke, and tore until nothing but pieces and dust and blood decorated the cursed place.

He then fell on his knees and smashed one last time his bloody fists on the ground, crying out in boiling agony.

Karma was a bitch. Whenever something good happened to him, it was snatched away from him, leaving him bare and cold.

He remained like that for a moment, lost in complete silence. His ears rang, as if filled with water or wax. The sudden high-pitched sound of a cellphone melody violently startled him. The cheerful ringing sounded out of place, scornful and taunting.

Kol inhaled sharply. The name of his brother flashed on the screen, adding to the mockery of his misery.

"What do you want?" he snapped

"Easy brother," Niklaus answered at the other end of the line, "we have a problem."

"If you called to tell me fucking Salvatore and his bitch were coming, you're a tad too late."

"What happened?"

"Oh! Don't give me that tone! There was nothing I could do!"

"I tried to call you earlier but for a reason that is beyond me, no one bothered to pick up."

"I was busy..."

"So I noticed. However, had you answered when I called you this morning, you would have known and been able to act accordingly."

"How so? By abducting Jeremy?!" _If only I had..._

"No fool, by killing him!"

Kol swallowed, "Killing him?" he stupidly repeated. Would he have been able to, really?

"That was the point, Kol!" his brother sounded on the verge of exasperation, "your mission was to USE that boy against his sister! But once again, you ruined everything! And now my Doppelganger and his medium of a brother are trying to sabotage me!"

Kol tried to ignore the bitter rage at Klaus' accusations, "What's going on?"

"I have another mission for you, brother. See it as a way to redeem yourself."

"What do you want?" the youngster asked, his jaw clenched

"They have the last stake in their possession and are currently trying to find out about their bloodline to make sure they can kill me without endangering their precious lives. Me, or any other Original unrelated to them. So Rebekah, Elijah or even you. All of us are potentials."

"But..."

"I want you to prevent them from finding. Jeremy is a medium, he can contact anyone."

"I think they were trying to contact Rosemarie. Who..."

"Mary Porter."

Kol's eyebrows shot upward, "_Mary_?"

"Herself."

"So, it they descend from Mary, it means that they descend from you. Right?"

"We don't have time for that, Kol! Find Mary and make sure she can't talk!"

"You mean _kill_ her?"

"I mean make her shut up! Or is this too complicated for you? Should I send Rebekah instead?"

Kol growled, "I'll be fine."

"Good! Go at once, we have very little time. Oh and by the way, if you were to encounter Damon Salvatore and Elena, remember this: do not hurt the girl. I need her unscratched."

_She took Jeremy away from me! She deserves to die! _"Fine! But how am I supposed to know where Mary..."

Only a beep answered. Klaus had hung up. _Bastard!_

A couple of seconds later, his phone beeped again. His brother had texted him the address he was supposed to visit.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

There were times Karma was bitcher than usual. Now was a good example. His almost lover was gone and most likely to have sworn a hateful vengeance of his behalf whilst a bunch of teenagers wasted their energy and time on finding every possible way to bug them, not to forget his adorably tyrannical brother who expected him to plainly murder a very old – and very close – friend so that the bunch of said homicidal teenagers gave up and found themselves a new hobby.

Oh, and the ironical part of it all? As the initiator of the glorious Golden bloodline, Niklaus was safe! Only Kol, Elijah and Rebekah were in actual danger! Niklaus' capital role in those modern times knights' lives guaranteed him a murderproof protection for all eternity! In the end, his brother always won while the three others cleaned the carpet His Majesty the Hybrid had tainted in a teary feud – because poor, _poor_ Niklaus was so lonely, so _misunderstood._ Kol growled under his breath and turned off the engine.

His life was wonderful...

The place was damp and messy. He grimaced. How distasteful for a woman as classy as Mary to be living in such a sordid place.

"Mary?" he called

No one answered. He tried again, a bit louder. Still no reply. He frowned. There was no source of light nor movement whatsoever.

He entered several rooms, all disturbingly empty. When he opened the door of the last room, he immediately felt a presence.

"Ah! There your are! Come on, now, show yourself. I know you're in here!"

He looked around him but she remained hidden in the dark. Jeremy's bat in hand, he clapped it playfully against his palm.

"Come on! Is this a way to greet an old friend?!"

His eyes caught a sudden blurry move on his left. Acting on his Original reflexes, he pinned the draught on the wall before she could pass the door.

"Hello, Mary!" he greeted the terrified girl, "long time, no see!"

When she did not say anything, he frowned and gave her a humorless smile, "Are you afraid of me? After all we shared together?"

"I know why you're here!" she whispered through gritted teeth

Kol sighed, "Ah, you and your visions! Well, that'll spare me a useless explanation!"

"I shan't tell a word to anyone! I promise!"

He clenched his jaw in silent anger, "Don't take me for a fool, Mary! I know you bear a grudge against my brother!"

"Do you not?"

She had hit a nerve. When Kol remained silent, she continued, "Be truthful, Kol. This is our only opportunity to be freed from his tyrannical reign. I shall not let such a chance slip."

"You ungrateful little bitch!" he whispered

"Why are you so keen on defending him? Why being so loyal to someone so unworthy? I know how much you despise him! What a mess he has made of your life."

"He's my brother," he spat, "he may be a hateful bastard but he remains my brother. Don't you remember who saved you from your plight? Mary the Witch! If not for Niklaus, you'd have burnt on that stake! Show some gratitude!"

It was Mary's turn to stiffen, "He saved me from the pyre to throw me into a pit of darkness!"

"You're alive," he thundered, "what could matter more? Should you have liked the fire best? You're immortal and powerful!"

"And mad! Do you have any idea how wicked my visions can be?! How torturous? How tiring?"

"Didn't seem to be a problem a few centuries ago, if I reckon!"

"It only grew worse with the passing of time..."

Kol shook his head, "My, where has your devotion for my family gone? I can still see you, fawning over Elijah, enamored as you were!"

"I was silly..."

"I know you, Mary. We used to have fun together, don't you remember? Why being so stern, now?"

"Why should you care? You are here to kill me. Or shan't you do it?"

"Oh! I shall! Although, had you not been immunized to compulsion, I shall have forced you to keep silence by my words. A pity that I cannot, really. For the moment, I'm just being curious."

"This is all a game to you, is it not? Death, pain. The lives of all the innocent you murder hold no value to you, no worth. You discard them of their right to be alive just to satisfy a self-centered whim."

"Humans are only two things: food and entertainment. I am not sorry, never were, never will. What happened to you? Were those visions of yours which got you so mushy? You sound like Elijah! Good ol' Elijah. Whinny and suicidal. So moral. So _boring_."

She disregarded his last remarks, "What about Jeremy? Is his life meaningless to you as well? Should you forsake his body on the cold cement of a gutter?"

He gulped, fire in his eyes, a memory flash reminded him that the boy was gone forever, "What do you know of him?"

"You ought to have killed him when you still could."

He tightened his grip on her neck, choking her, "If you do not wish this conversation to be shortened, you shall watch your tongue."

"It's true then, you really are going to kill me to protect a brother you loath. Have at it! Play the good soldier, Kol, obey his command. Once again. Save him. He only put you in a coffin for a century, after all. Or Rebekah for a few decades. Or Elijah and Finn. Incidentally, how does Finn fare? In the last vision I had of him, he was smoking hot!"

Kol's grip tightened, "I said, watch your tongue, you're forgetting your place. I know what filth you're trying to achieve."

She had a dry laugh, "You do not know anything. Niklaus has no care for you. He called upon you only to protect himself. Once the Doppelganger knows you and the rest of your siblings are not the initiators of their bloodline, they will murder you. Niklaus shall protect no one."

_You think I ignore that? _"I am an Original."

"You are a fool. A love-struck idiot. That boy made your heart the softer. He consumes your every thought. I can see it."

"Stop speaking of him! You don't know him!" he hit her, fury on his face

"Neither do you. You think you know what he is? Who he will be? This is only the beginning."

"Shut up!"

"You should have killed him. Mark my words, Kol, Jeremy Gilbert shall bring you to your downfall!"

"I said shut up!" he yelled

In his rage, he plunged Jeremy's bat through Mary's heart. He watched one of his oldest friend desiccate before him.

He swallowed and made his way to his car to retrieve his other aluminum bat. He would need it with that moronic Salvatore and his princess.

As he walked out the gloomy house, Mary's words echoed in his head, _"You think you know what he is? Who he will be? This is only the beginning."_

What did she mean by that?

* * *

**There you go! I hope you liked it! I did not want Jeremy and Kol to be parted yet I had no choice! Hope you are not too disappointed. Mary was a big challenge to write. It really is a pity the writers did not write any scene between she and Kol. Once again, it showed how little care the writers have for any character which is not Elena.**** Therefore, I wrote Mary's persona the way I imagined it.**

**Just to clarify things a little, Mary was not a witch, only a medium. Thus, when she was turned, she did not lose her visions = Scary Mary. **


	10. X

**Hey there! I will spare you the babbling today for I do not feel in a babbling mood! I will only say that I actually enjoyed the last episode! Katherine and Elijah are very good together and I liked the softer side Katherine displayed.**

**This chapter is the last chapter of the "first part," so it is still part of the transition along with chapter 9. I hope it will not be too boring... Bear with me, from next chapter, things will move a bit!**

**Enjoy your reading. And as always, I want to thank all my readers and reviewers! You guys lighten my days! Thank you!**

* * *

X.

The two following months passed in a haze. Kol would vaguely remember splashes of blood, screams, moans, red hair, blond hair, chestnut hair, after tastes of whiskey, vodka and rum. Loud music. Voices. Names, a guy called Thomas and another one Alex... Or maybe was it Thomex and Alas... Nothing made any sense anymore. Day and night mingled in his head. Time seemed to go by in a loop. Every minute was alike the last one.

Only one element remained painfully clear in spite of the maze that had obstructed his neurones: Jeremy was gone. Jeremy would never come back.

A strange smell pulled him out of the darkness he had collapsed in mere minutes ago – or was it hours? He would be unable to tell. Eyes still closed, he sniffed. It oddly reminded him of a roasted chicken. He then acknowledged a burning sensation on his left hand. His hand hurt. He cracked an eye open and gasped. His hand was on fire.

He cursed and zoomed to retreat in the shadow. It was daylight. He was outside. Hungover and confused. Why had he been on the verge of becoming a grilled steak? He blinked. His hand felt lighter. He checked it, cursed again. He was thus hungover, outside and apparently ring free.

That was just peachy!

Where was that bloody ring? Never in all his centuries had it left his finger once. He really had to be higher than high to lose it!

He looked around him in hope to spot the shiny jewel. In vain. The thing was nowhere to be seen. Wicked! He was stuck there until the sun went down. He pouted. Oh well, at least that brought some change to his foggy routine!

Never a day had felt so eternal. He had to change of place several times not to get burnt by the rotation of the sun beams. He was uncomfortable and famished. He could almost say that he felt ill, which was a foreign sensation to him. Yet, there was nothing he could do, only wait for hours under a porch. And as he had managed to get lost in some bizarre industrial zone, no human passed by him. He was utterly alone.

When dusk finally peered in, he dashed to the last place he remembered to have visited, a pub. He immediately accosted the barman. The young male smiled at him, he had probably recognized him – Kol could not say as much.

"There you are! Hope the hangover was not that bad! You put on quite a show last night!"

_I'm glad you enjoyed it!_ Kol forced a fake smile and refrained his killer reflex – he needed the guy, "I lost something yesterday. A ring. Have you seen it?"

The man frowned and shook his head, "Not that I recall. People lose things every night you know, especially when one is as wasted as you were!"

Kol growled under his breath. _Don't kill him! Don't kill him! _He took a deep breath, "This ring was extremely precious to me. I have to get it back!"

The human sighed, "Look, I can't help you. Maybe you should ask one of the guys over there!" he pointed a group of three males in their twenties who already were on a beer diet.

Kol frowned, "Why would they know?!"

"Mmh... You were the best of drinking and karaoke buds last night! Don't you remember?"

Kol's eyes widened, horrified, "Karaoke?"

"Yep! Manolo, Piaf, Scorpion, Celine Dion, Taylor Swift... You sang it all! You really _were_ heartbroken!"

Kol's blood was boiling. He was going to murder that human who dared making fun of him – and murder himself just after to be cleansed from the shame, "I... _sang?" _he asked, appalled.

The guy laughed,"_Massacred_ would be more accurate. My poor ears still remember! You read poems, too..." When he sensed Kol's mortification reach peerless peaks, he added, "I must say that your drinking capacity amazed me. I didn't know someone could consume so much alcohol and avoid a coma!"

"I'm not someone!" Kol replied darkly.

The man chuckled while drying a freshly rinsed glass, "Indeed you're not!"

Before he made his way to the table, he caught the barman's eyes, "You never saw me and won't remember anything that happened yesterday. I was never here and never _sang_ anything. Got it?" the man nodded, "Good!"

He smiled, content to have saved his honor and flawless image. He took a deep breath and proceeded to walk to the table. As soon as the men saw him, they whistled. _Don't kill them!_

"Hey man!" they greeted him

Kol did not waste any time, "I lost my ring. Do you know where it could be?!"

One of the humans shook his head, "Sorry. My memory is not really fully functioning..."

_And it will stop functioning altogether when I'm done with you!_ "So none of you know?"

They all shook their heads apologetically. Kol sighed. He was screwed. Although he could call one of his witch acquaintances for a new ring, he especially prized this one; after all, he had worn it for more than nine hundred years! He felt bare without it.

"Care for a drink?" one of the guys slurred, raising his glass, but Kol ignored him. Something had caught up his attention.

He walked toward the owner of the shinning hand. His ring! It was his ring! He roughly grabbed the human's wrist.

"Hey!" the girl complained, she was a waitress.

"Where did you get this?!" he compelled her.

"You gave it to me!" she simply replied.

He raised an eyebrow. Okay... He had not expected that one. Better and better.

"And why would I ever do that?" he snapped back, his voice dripping with unconstrained venom.

"You said you wouldn't need it anymore."

"What?"

She looked at him sheepishly, "You said you wanted to die to resurrect in a world where a certain Jeremy would love you..." she paused when she saw that his eyebrows had almost spring out his forehead, "I thought it was crazy but you insisted that I kept it... You looked ready to burst in tears if I didn't. So I did..."

In all honesty, Kol did not know what was worse between the fact that he had _willingly_ given his daylight ring away to a _human _in a drunken delirium or that said human openly implied he almost _cried,_ had she not accepted it. God! What was _wrong_ with him?

He was having a nightmare. He would wake up soon. Yes, he would... He _had_ to! None of this could be real. He could _not_ have gotten drunk with humans and sang _love songs _along with them. And there was absolutely no chance in the whole damn Universe he would _ever_ part with his most precious possession in order to go kill himself – especially considering he _could not_ die. Not now, not in a million years! _Never! _He was not suicidal!

"I was almost sure you'd come back for it," she continued softly, "in my job I see crazy things everyday. You frightened me, you know. I really feared you'd do it. I'm glad you didn't!" she smiled and took the ring off to give it back to him, "there you go!"

Kol took it, too stunned to say anything.

"You really have him under your skin," she added after he had put his ring back on.

"Who?"

"That boy. Jeremy."

She left and surprisingly enough, he let her. _You have no idea!_

The first thing to do, Kol decided, was to get back on track. He would not allow himself to be seen in such a display of pride depravity again. This was simply unacceptable. He, Kol Mikaelson, had sung_ karaoke_ with humans! _Love songs_! He knew he would never get over it, not even in a century. He was burning with shame. He felt like killing all the humans who had been a witness to his decline, or banging his head against a wall...

But before taking a decision, he had to feed, just after he compelled everyone in the pub who had been there the previous night. No one would tarnish his reputation!

He spent the three following days in spiritual recovery. Jeremy's brutal departure had turned him into a fool he was unable to recognize. He actually received the much unexpected help from someone he thought would have held the biggest grudge against him after what happened at the ball.

"Sister!" he exclaimed as he picked up, "what a surprise! Last time I asked about you, I was told you were having a little nap. Glad to see you decided to cut it short!"

She ignored him, "I have a proposition for you."

"Really? What is it?"

"I can't tell you everything but let's just say that I need you to come back to Mystic Falls."

Kol gulped. Mystic Falls. _Jeremy_. He frowned, "I don't fancy that much. Sorry." He was not.

"Oh come on, Kol! I need you!"

"And why don't you ask Niklaus, your favorite brother!"

"He's not my favorite brother and you know it!"

"Well, over the last centuries you certainly spent more time with him than anyone else."

"Maybe because contrary to _anyone else_ Nik always stuck by my side."

"When he's not too busy locking you up in a coffin for nine decades that is..."

She remained silent for a short while and Kol knew he had hit the bull's eye. He sighed. He did not enjoy hurting his sister's feelings, "Come on, Bekah, why won't you leave that place already! Join me and have fun!"

"I have other plans."

He sighed, "Of course, you do. I hope you don't plan on marrying that human you were so fond of last time I saw you."

"Matt? We're not even dating!"

"Ah! Some good news, at last! I was afraid that lesson with the hunter five hundred years ago had remained unlearned."

"He won't let me near him..." she whined

"The boy knows what's good for him! I appreciate that! He's not stupid, after all!"

"Oh shut up, Kol!" she got irritated, "Speaking of hunters, that's why I need you here."

Kol frowned, "What's wrong _again_?"

"To give you a quick summary, Elena is now a vampire and she killed one of the Five. She got cursed but miraculously managed to get over it until we realized the new hunter had been called already. And now Nik has Jeremy Gilbert on a vampire genocide training with Damon Salvatore to complete the marking as quick as possible."

Kol had completely frozen, "Why is Jeremy on a vampire genocide training?" he asked in a monotone voice.

"To kill as many of them as possible," she explained as if it were obvious.

"But... why would _he_ kill vampires? He's a kid!" Kol was not stupid, his brain had somehow processed the information yet he refused to acknowledge it.

Rebekah sighed, "Because he's one of the Five you nutcase! He's the new hunter!"

Kol felt suddenly very ill. Jeremy? One of the Five? No! It could not be! Jeremy was a sweet boy, he could not have turned into his biggest enemy in only a few weeks!

"Kol?" Rebekah asked, "Are you alright?"

_No, I'm not,_ "Yeah..."

"Don't sound quite like it!"

"I'm fine!" he snapped, "I just hate those damn hunters! I should have killed that stupid boy when I still could!" _Why, why, why, why, why?_

"Yes, you should have! But you didn't and now we have a very, very volatile baby hunter on the run. He attacked his sister a couple of times. According to Klaus he's very unstable."

Kol clenched his jaw in rage, "We gotta kill him!" _I'd rather have him dead than my natural enemy._

"No!" Rebekah shouted, outraged.

Kol frowned, "He will kill us, sister, if we don't!"

"Oh come on Kol, he's just a baby human hunter! He's harmless for us!"

"Then why do you need me?"

"I can't tell you but it's about Nik."

"Don't you trust me?"

"No, I don't. But I don't trust Nik either and I know he will betray me."

"And you'd rather betray him first?!"

"Yes."

"I see."

There was a moment of silence, "So, will you help me or not?" she sounded impatient.

Kol frowned. He did not feel like going back to Mystic Falls and see the new version of Jeremy Gilbert, it would hurt too much. On the other hand, the prospect of being an obstacle to Niklaus' project did have a certain appeal.

"I'll be there in a few," he finally decided.

"Thank you!" she sounded relieved.

"Yeah, right."

He hang up and let go of the phone. He let himself slide along the wall to sit on the dark concrete. His head buzzed, he felt on the verge of fainting. Jeremy was gone. Jeremy was a hunter. The sweet, innocent boy was now a programmed killer. _You're a much worse killer yourself!_ But this was Jeremy! And Jeremy could not be a killer! It was such a waste! He had fallen for the innocence of the boy, not his ruthlessness. He just needed a mirror for that! Nothing was making any sense.

Suddenly, he remembered his last interaction with Mary. _"You think you know what he is?"_ she had said, "_Who he will be? This is only the beginning." _And just then, the words, previously meaningless, became meaningful; Mary had known, she had seen it and she tried to warn him. She also said he would be his downfall. Did she imply the boy would eventually kill him? He shook his head. No, it was impossible. He was an Original. He could not be killed. And certainly not at the hand of a child.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

Once in Mystic Falls, he paid a discreet visit to the Grill for a much deserved drink – and to see Jeremy, not that he would admit it. He was disappointed to learn the boy no longer worked there. He downed a few drinks.

He met with Rebekah. She looked ready to explode. He distractedly listened to her enraged babbling about Caroline and Elena and Prom and Cheerleading and other stuff so irrelevant to his brain he wasted no energy to process them.

He had been convinced Jeremy being a hunter was the epitome of depressive news, that nothing could beat it. The following days proved him wrong.

He had been alive and safe for one thousand years. In only two months, those idiotic Mystic Falls champions managed to bring up what probably were the two biggest threats to his undisturbed eternity!

First, there was a cure for vampirism – and Rebekah had known, the traitor. A cure! Something that actually held the power to turn him, the almighty Original, into a pathetic human all over again.

And second, they planned to rise the Devil himself in order to get the bloody cure!

Before meeting them, Kol had been unaware of such a level of stupidity. Why would one want to forsake power and immortality? That was beyond him! It was mankind's oldest dream! Not to forget his imbecilic brother who actually wanted the cure for his precious hybrids – whom he had slaughtered in a feud – paying no heed to the fact that if a three thousand year-old immortal was on the lose, creating hybrids would be the least of his problems. Rebekah did not seem much reasonable either. As for Moralman, no one had heard about him in weeks.

Therefore, Kol decided to take matters into his own hands. For the first time, he truly felt as the only sensible person left in a crowd of lunatics.

The hunter was the key. They needed his mark in order to get to the cure. Without it, there would be no cure. The idea was thus to deprive them of their precious key, Jeremy. What to do with him though, his mind was still debating.

He encountered no problem in tracking them down. A couple of compulsions on the right persons and he quickly learned the Gilberts owned a house near a lake.

He found them easily enough. Damon was not a quiet vampire. Besides, he recognized the boy's delicious smell miles away. When he arrived, Jeremy was training with Rebekah's boy. A lump formed in his throat.

Jeremy had changed. He looked bulkier. Way more so. It was both hot and disturbing. He had liked old fragile Jeremy just fine. This new one looked like a completely different person. Kol did not enjoy it. Yet, as he watched the boy's pathetic attempt at attacking Salvatore, he could not repress a smirk. He still had a long road ahead of him before he could even put a baby vampire down! Kol would eat him for Breakfast!

He did not linger much longer, not particularly keen on getting caught. He felt light headed to have seen his human after two long months of abstention.

He would come back later.

When the sky eventually darkened, Kol settled in a tree in front of Jeremy's bedroom window. The boy was wearing large black pants and had removed his top. Kol gulped. He had never truly seen him half-naked before. He was beautiful, even though his new muscles were huge – too huge for the boyish features of his face. He was with Matt. They were laughing and chatting about silly teenager things. Jeremy did not look upset or troubled. In fact, Kol's absence did not seem to have affected him in any way and the vampire felt a pang in his chest. He had spent two months in Hell due to their brutal separation, yet the human looked absolutely unfazed, as if nothing had never happened, as if _he_ never happened. Their blissful months together had manifestly not reached the boy as deep as it had Kol, and the vampire fought back the sudden urge to try and break through the window to _remind him_. _That'd be useless. He's a hunter now._

Eventually Matt bade him goodnight and left. The boy disappeared in another room for a moment before coming back to get into his bed. He turned the light off.

Kol remained in his tree until dawn, a few miles away from him, unable to enter, unable to move. The tip of his fingers tickled with the need to touch him. The boy was so close yet so far. As he watched Jeremy sleeping peacefully, unaware of the nearby danger, he made the inner promise to win him back. He would use force if need be.

_Soon my boy. Soon._

* * *

**Thereupon ends the first part and with it, my sticking to the official plot. I just hope it was not a bore to read, it certainly was a bore to write! From now on, I will diverge from the show and give my own version of some facts. I shall not spoil you, but you should forget about official fates and characters... Next chapter will only contain a small part from the 4X11 episode and then this story will become purely AU! So, for all of you who feared a mere copy of the season 4 storyline, be reassured, it will not be the case!  
**

**I hope to you see there! Cheers!**

**I also want to write something else, another Keremy actually. I am still processing plot ideas! And I want to write something Elijah-centric... **


	11. XI

**Hello again! Here comes the new chapter! I hope you will like it! **

* * *

XI.

Kol had methodically anticipated every sort of unexpected complication. He had looked through every possible twist imaginable. However, Niklaus paying a visit to Damon and the boys was not one of them.

He cursed under his breath when he spotted his brother's figure, too busy murdering random humans to notice his presence.

He shook his head, incredulous, as sweet, _smart_, Nik set dozens of famished vampires on defenseless Jeremy. Seriously? _That _was his super plan to make Jeremy's mark grow the quickest? He rolled his eyes. That certainly was the quickest way to his death! Stupid Salvatore tried to hold them back as much as he could but was soon outnumbered – amateur! Kol would never admit it, but he was glad for the baby vampire's presence for once, considering Nik would have been more likely to watch his Hunter turn into vampire food without as much as turning a hair! With another rolling of eyes and exasperated sigh, the Original followed them.

He was too fast to be seen anyway. And fortunately so, for Jeremy, who would have certainly died a good fifty times, had Kol not interfered. He did not kill anyone to avoid suspicion; basic physical attacks sufficed.

He followed the two humans and vampire back to the house and remained hidden. The vampires gathered for a moment in front of the house, probably waiting for a snack to get out. Silly, silly newborns! Kol ignored them and focused on the voices inside the house instead. Matt and Jeremy played video games, Damon was on the phone with Elena, literally claiming his eternal devotion to her. Kol rolled his eyes. They were pathetic. _You're no better, standing there like an idiot_. But he was on a mission. _Being a guard dog for a human hunter?_ He shook his head. Okay, he was as much pathetic, if not more. He sighed.

After a while, Jeremy's phone rang.

"Hey, Bonnie!" he heard Jeremy say.

He immediately alerted his senses. _Bonnie?_ As in the _ex-girlfriend?_ This was no good. No good at all! His breath unconsciously quickened.

"We're okay..."

"Elena told me Klaus had stopped by," he heard her say, voice full of concern.

"Yes, he was here... He turned several people into vampires for me to kill them."

"Oh my God, Jeremy!" Kol rolled his eyes. Why did she have to go all dramatic? The boy was fine!

"Don't worry, it's gonna be alright... We managed to escape up to the house in time... We'll track them down again tomorrow along with Damon."

"Do you think this growing process will take long?"

"I don't know... It might take a while, I suppose..."

"I hate it... I hate vampires." _Hey!_ Kol scowled.

"Yeah, I hate them too..." Jeremy replied with unhidden animosity. Kol gritted his teeth. He felt oddly rejected.

"I miss you, Jer. I hope I'd stayed with you." The vampire rolled his eyes. Lovebirds tragedy, Act I.

"I miss you too, Bonnie... It was good to have you here with me..." Kol swallowed and pouted, his eyes stung.

"Hopefully, you'll come back soon."

"I'll try to get this over the quickest, I promise. You helped me a great deal, you know that?"

"I didn't do much..."

"Without you, I would have never been able to approach my sister again. I owe you that."

"Well, next time we see each other, you'll give me a proper thank you!" she joked. Kol's eyeballs were ready to bulge out their sockets.

Jeremy laughed quietly, "I will, I will!"

Kol would not stomach any more. He was going to be sick. He zoomed to the forest and sat against a tree. He crossed his arms on his chest and proceeded to sulk for an uncounted amount of time. He looked like a bull ready to charge; one could almost see smoke spring out his already crimson ears.

Jeremy missed his whore?! That was all very well! He had liked to have her near him? After she practically dumped him? What a treat! He hated vampires? Fair enough! Kol was not one to be easily offended, after all - just a tiny, tiny little bit.

He pouted and fought back the tears that threatened to dig wet furrows along his cheeks. His ears registered strides and voices coming closer. Kol looked up, dawn was nearing. The newborns were heading back to the bar in which they had been slaughtered to shelter themselves from the murderous beams.

He frowned. A smirk slowly formed on his lips; he had found the perfect way to annoy his brother and get back at Jeremy for his treason. _Er, which treason exactly?_ He chased the invading conscience away and followed the little group into the bar.

The vampires turned toward him as he pushed the doors open, "Hi guys!" he greeted them with a devilish smile, "It's bed time for the undead!"

They were ridiculously easy to beat. Kol did not kill them straight away, though. He had a rage to quench, after all! And what was best to appease a maddening anger than to hear delightful screams of agony and feel fresh blood running down one's fingers...

He dragged the corpses to the storage room in order to leave visible guide marks – a riddle without effective clues was not a good riddle – and piled them up. He took a step back to admire his handwork and smiled, satisfied with the result.

He went back into the main room and whistled. Now he just had to find something to keep himself busy until Hansel and Gretel made their grand entrance. He shrugged. Easy enough, he was in a bar after all! He switched some music on and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from behind the bloody counter.

The post-kill adrenaline soon faded to be replaced with unpleasant resentment. He puckered his lips and gritted his teeth as confusion ate him up.

"_It was good to have you here with me... I miss you..."_

He could feel it again, that searing jealousy which was consuming him from the inside like a fire, smothering him, trapping him, swallowing him. The sky itself, ablaze with morning light, seemed to ignite through the panes of glass of the only window.

He kept on drinking, oblivious to the inappropriate buoyancy of sorrows.

He did not have to wait long, though. He had only drank half the bottle down when he heard Jeremy's delicious voice. He smirked and hid away.

He saw them enter. Jeremy was holding a crossbow. _Oh, the pretty little hunter!_ Kol rolled his eyes and took another sip in silence.

"Something's not right..." Damon said while scanning the surprisingly empty area.

Hansel quickly averted his gaze and followed the carmine path right into the showroom. Kol smirked, okay that riddle had been an easy one. He ought to have added some curves to the road maybe... A few traps...

"Looks like we're gonna have to find some new vampires!" he heard him say again. "The waste..."

Jeremy's frightened voice reached his ears, "What the Hell happened?!"

His confusion was so obvious, Kol could literally smell it in the air. _So, so sweet... _It was just too tempting... Besides, he was way past tipsy and did not care anymore...

"I confess! I did it!" he admitted, hands up in amused surrender.

Jeremy immediately spurned around, crossbow raised in useless defense. When he saw him, his eyes widened slightly.

"Kol?" he acknowledged with increased confusion.

Kol would have danced the dance of joy, had he been able to. At least the boy remembered him... It was better than nothing... He was way past tipsy.

"Jeremy! Good to see you, mate!" then he realized the sanguinary context did nothing to repackage his image to the boy, "Sorry about the mess. It was a little crowded when I arrived and I prefer more intimate gatherings..." he explained, embarrassed, "And we three need to have a little chat," he finished while taking a sip from his bottle, looking straight into Jeremy's eyes.

The boy was trembling, wide-eyed. Fear perspired from every pore of his skin; his bow being more of a shield than an actual means of defense. Kol inwardly sighed, this was not the reunion he had pictured in his mind.

He tried to lighten the heavy mood, "Care for a drink?" he proposed the boy.

His annoyance climaxed when stupid Salvatore stepped in before Jeremy could even reply anything, "He's underage and I don't like you!"

Kol's eyes narrowed. _Likewise!_ He would make him pay for his interference – Jeremy looked like he wanted to say something but abstained, to the great displeasure of the Original.

"So let's just cut to it!" Damon finished, walking toward Kol with what he probably thought to be a threatening gait.

Kol could only smile. He was beyond irritated. Who did this arrogant prick think he was? How dared he? _I __am so going to make you pay for your insolence, Darling!_

"You know, my brother bragged about his plan to complete Jeremy's hunter mark. It was easy enough to track this lot down. They were all hiding in the shadows... Killing young vampires is easy," his gaze locked on Damon and darkened, "Or old ones, for that matter..."

Damon took the bait, "Why? What's it to you, either way?"

"Because, you fools, in your zeal to find the cure you risk waking someone that is very dangerous."

"Oh! You must be talking about Silas!" Damon mocked.

He was such an idiot. Kol wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. Again.

"What do you know of him?"

"Nothing! Don't want to. Not our problem."

Okay, he was an idiot coupled with an ignorant, "Isn't he?" It was Kol's duty to enlighten him – he was the only sensible left in a crowd of lunatics, after all, "A few hundred years back, I came across a group that worshiped Silas. His followers told me that he would rise again, and when he did, he would trigger the end of all Times. Being an Immortal, you can see why I'm opposed to Times ending! So I murdered all of them..." he locked his gaze on Jeremy to check his reaction. The boy's eyebrows barely furrowed. He was obviously trying his best to keep a Poker Face. To see him so emotionless fueled Kol's already flammable irritation, "And now, here you are, willing to risk raising him in your search for the cure! I can't exactly sit back and let that happen, can I!"

"We're not gonna back off the cure, cause you were told one too many scary bedtime stories, you idiot!" Damon snickered.

That was it! That was the last drop! That peasant was openly mocking him, the Almighty Original! No one _ever_ dared laughing at Kol's warning. Or laughing at Kol, for that matter. He would teach the impudent a lesson later. Now, he still had a last card to play. He had to try and convince Jeremy of supporting his cause. They had been friends. They had shared something, a true bond. The boy used to trust him back then. Surely, some of that trust was still buried, somewhere...

He pushed past Damon in a frenzy.

The boy immediately held the bow up to protect himself. The vampire tried to ignore the hurt of rejection, "Jeremy, we were mates in Colorado. You're a smart lad. Why don't you call off this imbecilic treasure hunt?" He was looking at him straight in the eyes, trying desperately to _reach_ him.

The boy held his gaze as well as his bow, "Not calling anything off. _Mate,_" he replied, voice and eyes cold as ice.

_Oh, the little..._ That fucking _hurt_. Kol could barely believe it. Jeremy had rejected him, in the clearest way possible! Did their month together mean absolutely nothing to the boy? Did _he_ mean nothing? Was the boy's hard-gained trust irrevocably gone? It seemed so. _"I miss you" _he had told his witch... The searing jealousy slammed back full force. The fire burned, more intense than ever before. That was all very well! The boy just had chosen his side! Very well! Brilliant! Kol could no longer control his inner beast. The boy wanted to play smart? Fine! Two could play that game! Murderous folly took over despair.

"Well, I could kill you!" This silly human boy was going to learn his place, "But then I'll have to deal with the Hunter's curse and I don't particularly feel like being haunted for the next century..." The boy held his gaze. He had some nerve, Kol would grant him that. Gone was the puny, insecure, human boy. Kol missed him. This new arrogant one annoyed him to no end. He felt a sudden need to make him pay for his unpleasant change, "Better idea, I'll just rip off your arm!"

He zoomed to attack the boy. To be honest, he had never intended to hurt him. He might have sworn to use violence if need be, but those were just words. He never meant to hurt the boy. Not really. Jeremy had provoked it. This was Jeremy's fault, and his fault only. Kol had held out his hand to him, Jeremy slapped him in the face instead. This was his doing. Kol would have never hurt him otherwise.

However, Damon reacted in no time which gave the boy the opportunity to flee. Kol was inwardly relieved. Beating Damon to a pulp was way more gratifying than mutilating Jeremy's body, anyway. He released his constrained frustration onto the vampire in angry, unrestrained blows.

After that, it was just pure delight. He could finally get his long-awaited payback. All those humiliations, Finn's death, this insufferable arrogance, his blatant mockery, his role into blowing up his cover to Jeremy. All the above was finally being amended. Kol's eyes danced with gleeful satisfaction as he watched the cheeky vampire stab himself deeper and deeper, groaning in pain. This was just exhilarating; the sound, music to his ears.

Unfortunately, his vengeance was short-lived. Niklaus decided once again to snoop, sanctimonious as always.

"Come on Nik, I was only having some fun," Kol whined.

"Those vampires were for my Hunter!"

_He's not your Hunter! _"I'll make some more! There's no shortage of people!"

"Where is Damon Salvatore?"

Kol could not hide his joy when remembering the idiot's Fate, "I gave him a good and proper beating..." he admitted smugly, "Just for old time' sake..."

"Yes, well you've had your fun. Now let him go and come home," he implicitly ordered. Kol was no fool, he could recognize a threat when he heard one, "Avoid any more trouble or you'll find yourself back in a box!"

He rolled his eyes at that. Seriously? "Eh! No need to be nasty about it!"

"On the contrary, I find nastiness to be essential whenever my siblings try to sabotage me." Again with the moralistic tone, "Listen closely Kol, stay away from the Gilbert boy. Do you understand?" The threat was real.

_Sorry Nik, the Gilbert boy belongs to me,_ "Fine! I won't touch him! You have my word!"

He hung up before his brother could say anything and turned his attention back to the helpless Damon in front of him. It was time to get back to business!

In all actuality, he could have just compelled Damon to get rid of Jeremy and thus put a definite end to the Hunter issue – even if another one would eventually have awaken, likewise to Jeremy. Yet, Jeremy dead was the last thing he wanted. He contented himself with a few more torture tricks and a good snap of neck before he left the bar to freely think of his next move.

His original plan was to put Jeremy out of the picture; to deprive the little Gang of morons of their most needed key. Yet, Jeremy had to live. He could still go after the boy and chop his arms... In doing so, he would kill two birds with the same stone. Yes, that was a possibility. Although not the most practical one, he reckoned. Anyway, he only needed to get to the boy first. He would figure a course of action later.

Fortunately enough, Jeremy ran back to Mystic Falls along with everybody else. Kol watched the boy from afar for a few days; he needed to keep a low profile before he could undertake anything serious again. After a week of utter disappearance, they seemed to have forgotten all about him and dropped their guard.

It was almost too easy.

He waited for a moment of complete vulnerability to strike; he needed to corner the boy when he was alone.

One night, chance smiled at him. Jeremy took out the trash. It was as if Fate itself had offered him on a silver plate to the Original. Kol grinned and rushed before the human could escape back into the house. He put his hand on the boy's mouth to prevent him from screaming – not that Matt could have done much anyway...

"I'm sorry babe! I wish I could have done this the gentle way..." he apologized as he applied a chloroformed handkerchief against the boy's face. Jeremy struggled against him for a couple of seconds – it really was to bug him! - before he collapsed into the vampire's eager embrace.

He cradled the defenseless human against his chest and zoomed to his car, a big happy grin plastered on his face. He laid him on the backseat and kissed his forehead lovingly.

He had gotten his boy back. Eventually.

He turned on the engine and left town and siblings behind in a cloud of dirty smoke. It was time to disappear. Again.

* * *

**I know, there was not so much action going on... The actual plot truly develops next chapter. I still hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. I thought the passage from the episode would be shorter but let us be honest a moment here, that passage was just so full of slash potential, I had to exploit it at the top of its capacity! **

**Stay tuned and tell me what you think!**


	12. XII

**Hey! Here is the new chapter! I hope you like it! This chapter may be a bit weirdly dark, I don't know. One passage might be a bit sordid, so you're already warned.  
**

**WARNING: very strong language, themes**

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XII.

The ride was quiet. Kol checked several times his mirror to make sure the boy was still knocked out. He could not help the warm sensation which made his skin tickle whenever he saw his beautiful face appear.

They arrived in Denver in the morning. Kol parked in front of a familiar building and opened the door to retrieve Jeremy. He took him in his arms effortlessly, reached for the front door, entered the necessary code and rushed to the third floor, using the stairs, Jeremy still secured against him – he was faster than any human machine, anyway.

He knocked.

A sleepy, familiar, blond head came to open. She looked to have brutally awoken as soon as she recognized him, "What are you doing, here?"

"Nice to see you too!" he replied, pushing past her.

"Who is it?"

"Jeremy and I are going to stay for a little while! I hope you don't mind!"

Helen was about to answer something spicy but Kol beat her to it, "That's very kind of you!"

The girl shut her mouth. Arguing with the Devil was pointless. She sighed as she saw the vampire invade her private quarters once again to lay the human boy down on her unmade bed. She sighed again. Where was she supposed to sleep now?

Kol gently caressed Jeremy's cheek with the back of his hand. He then opened the small suitcase he had brought along with him and took out straps to tie Jeremy's wrists to the frame of the bed.

"Is this really necessary?" Helen whispered – she had probably guessed the boy was not here by his own free will, "Can't you just compel him to stay put?"

"He's a Hunter," Kol replied, tying the second wrist, "He unfortunately cannot be compelled." _If only he could..._

"A hunter?" she asked, confused.

Kol put his index against his lips to signal her to be quiet. When he had made sure Jeremy was firmly attached, he beckoned her to follow him. They settled in the kitchen.

"He's a vampire Hunter now," he explained.

"Like Buffy?" she asked, full of candid naivety.

Kol, whom had been forced onto a pop culture update by dear Rebekah, rolled his eyes, "Yes, like Buffy, except that he's hotter and less dangerous. He doesn't have super powers. Only a burning need to run a stake through every single vampire's heart he can reach."

"But that can't kill you... Can it?"

"No. But he hates me now."

"Well, you did kidnap him..." she pointed out while making coffee.

Kol cast her an ugly glare, "The idiot left me no other choice. He has refused my peace offer! And I'm not going to sit back, doing nothing!"

She frowned, "What's wrong?!"

"Nothing that concerns you..." he sharply replied as he sat at the table.

"I thought you had been killed!" she whispered after a while.

Kol treated himself with the coffee, "Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart, but you're stuck with me for a long, long time."

She grimaced, "Whats happened?"

"My charming brother and his shitty plans... Nothing unusual," was the only answer Kol gave her.

She made some toasts and sat at the small table, opposite to Kol.

They remained silent for a little while until she spoke again, "What is he doing here and what did you do to him?"

"He's mine."

"That's not an answer!"

Kol felt his nerves boiling, "Helen, _pet_, you do know how I feel about questions, right?!"

She shut her mouth and looked at her plate. Kol smiled sweetly to her. She swallowed. He liked his humans obedient and afraid. They sat in silence after that.

When he was finished with his coffee, he abruptly zoomed next to her and grabbed her arm to bite down. She gasped and jumped.

After a good mouthful, he released her, "I wanted to make sure you hadn't gone on a nasty vervain habit while I was away," he justified, "I'm glad to _taste_ you haven't! And it's fortunate for you, my darling!"

She shuddered. She had heard the threat concealed behind his words.

He smiled a dirty smile and began to compel her, "Here is the thing, Jeremy will stay here and mustn't leave the room, no matter what. You must _never_ untie him. Are we clear?" She nodded, he continued, "Never mention my name or Jeremy's to anyone. You live alone. If someone asks, you don't know me and have never seen me. Never tell anyone where you live, and if someone insists to follow you home, stay where you are, don't move an inch and stop speaking. Got it?"

She swallowed and nodded. He patted her head, "Good girl!" He turned toward the table to grab a piece of her raspberry jam toast. He then stood up and walked to the door.

"Kol?" she began in a timid, frightened voice when he had put his hand on the handle.

He faced her again and cocked an eyebrow to indicate her she was granted permission to continue.

"May I ask one question?" she was not looking at him.

"Ask away."

"Why did you come here? I mean, you probably own dozens of houses all over the world, so why here, so close to that town? You could have gone anywhere..."

He frowned and scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Because paying a visit to one of my houses is the first move Niklaus will make..." he stayed silent for a little while, still thoughtful, before he added more quietly, "And, I kind of like being here. You're a good human pet. And Jeremy will definitely need some human contact when he wakes up. I'm not sure he'll be smitten with me after our little road trip..." The truth behind those words hurt, but he would not admit it.

She probably wanted to add something but abstained, to which Kol was grateful.

The vampire left the kitchen and made his way to the bedroom in which Jeremy rested. He took the armchair in the corner to put it perpendicular to the bed. He sat and waited for about half an hour until the boy began to stir. Kol felt a lump form in his throat. The boy cracked an eye open and moaned. His voice sounded hoarse from the drug-induced sleep. He cracked a second eye open and stretched his arms. He looked like a cat, Kol mused with a smirk.

When the hunter came into awareness of where he was and with whom, his features contorted with rage, especially as he realized he was tied to the bed.

"What the fuck, Kol! What have you done to me?" his eyes were shining with hatred and fear, his voice dripping with poison.

_Showtime!_

"Calm down, mate! You're going to hurt yourself!"

The boy's breath was erratic, "What happened? What am I doing here?"

Kol rubbed his temples to keep his cool, "Easy, there! You're fine!"

"I'm tied to a fucking bed!" the boy was hysterical.

"That's only a tiny detail..." Kol replied with a rolling of eyes.

Jeremy glared at him, "What do you want from me?"

"What I already wanted back in the bar: I want you to call off this imbecilic treasure hunt," he shrugged.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jeremy thundered.

Kol's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Jeremy, my _buddy_, I gave you a choice if I recall correctly. Not my fault if you were not being sensible and made me take the lead! I will not let Silas be awoken. Not now, not ever. I will not let _anyone_ find a cure that might turn me into a pathetic you again. Your little friends need you to find him. Without you, they're handicapped. It's as simple as that."

Jeremy's eyes widened, "You can't kill me. You'd be haunted."

"I won't kill you!" Kol snapped back, "But I will make sure they never get to that island. And for that, there are other ways..." he smirked dirty, looking straight into the boy's wide eyes, "funnier ways..."

Jeremy gulped. Kol rose from his chair and took a step in his direction.

"Stay the Hell away from me!" the boy shrieked, trying desperately to put as much distance as possible between them both.

Kol frowned, hurt, "Or what? You gonna scream?" he mocked.

The boy remained silent, tensed and visibly terrified.

Kol sighed, "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. You look like a shrimp about to be cooked!"

Jeremy's face flushed angrily. He ignored Kol's comparison, "Like Hell you're not!"

"You used to trust me more back in the day!" Kol retorted with a rolling of eyes, already bored and annoyed.

"I thought you were _normal_ back then!"

Kol shrugged, "There's no such thing as _normal_..." when silence became unbearable he spoke again, "Listen, I know this is not the best of reunions but you saw it coming!"

Jeremy's eyebrows shot up his forehead in disbelief, "I didn't do _anything_ to you!"

"You refused to listen!" Kol thundered.

"And you think that gives you the right to _abduct me_?!" Jeremy yelled back, all fear forgotten in his rage.

Kol's eyes narrowed, "Want to talk about that chopping arm option again?"

Jeremy swallowed, eyes shining with undisguised terror.

Kol put both his hands on the bed and leaned in to whisper directly into the boy's ear, "As long as you're here, I won't harm you. I promise. Now if you _absolutely_ would rather be out, I'm game. But let's be _very_ clear on something, if I let you out, it will be _without_ your arms! You wouldn't want that now, would you?"

The boy violently shook his head, "And I understand! It'd be a pity to chop such beautifully muscled limbs," Kol joked before he continued more threateningly, "So if you want to keep them intact, you're going to stay here and do as I bid. Do we have an agreement?"

The boy nodded stiffly, in obvious reluctance.

Kol smiled, "That's a good choice!" he eyed him seductively, "Besides, aren't we fine here? Just the two of us like in the good old days?! I must say that I kinda like that new Hunter body of yours. You look hot!"

Jeremy scoffed in disgust and looked away.

Kol chuckled, "Oh please! Don't be the offended Virgin with me! You didn't look that disgusted when you were bucking your hard cock in the back of my throat!"

If Jeremy's face was red before that comment, it was nothing compared to the very cute shade of carmine that rose to his cheeks, "You're a lunatic pig!" he spat.

Kol chuckled, "That's me, all right!" He ruffled the boy's hair and made his way to the door.

"You can't keep me here forever, you know that!"

"Oh I won't need to! You're mortal. You don't have forever!"

Jeremy gawked, too shocked by Kol's silent implication to comment anything.

"Be a good boy!"

He then locked the door and sighed. This had been intense. Not as much as catastrophic as he had thought. Not particularly joyful either. He sighed. Jeremy still showed nothing but aversion, just like Kol had expected him to. He ran a hand through his hair. Mary was right, that human boy would be the death of him. But at least, Silas would stay put and they were together again. And this time, there would be no treachery, no warranted deceit. And the boy was his completely. He smiled. Yes, his plan was brilliant, like they always were.

Back in the kitchen, he decided to cook something for Jeremy – the boy probably was hungry and as long as he stayed here, Kol would make sure to take good care of him. He found pasta and bologna sauce in the cupboards. Perfect. After he had found a casserole, he managed to turn the stove on without setting the flat on fire and make the water boil. He kept his eyes on it, not willing to let the very first meal he cooked for Jeremy burn.

Eventually, when everything was ready, he put the plate on a tray with a fork and went back to the bedroom.

"Je-re-my! My swee-tie!" Kol sang as he opened the door.

Jeremy was looking through the window on the wall on his right and ignored him.

The vampire sat on the bad, making the boy jump violently.

"Lunch time!" he announced cheerfully.

Jeremy kept on ignoring him. Kol did not give up.

"Eat while it's warm!" he said as he rolled some pasta up on the fork.

The boy did not look at him. _Okay, babe has decided to sulk_.

"Come on Jeremy, you must eat! I cooked it myself! Just for you!"

Jeremy looked at him with a grimace.

"And no before you say anything, it's not poisoned! Open up!" Kol took the fork and made it swing in the air like he would have done with a small child, "One for Daddy Kol! Come on! Open up! Be a good boy!"

Jeremy glared at him, "I need to pee."

Kol raised an eyebrow and put the fork in his own mouth, "Well be my guest" he just said while munching on the food.

Jeremy waited a couple of seconds. His eyes locked on the vampire's with insistence to make him move. Which did not happen as Kol did not seem to have received his quiet signal.

"Kol! I need to go to the bathroom!" he voiced his insistence instead.

"Why?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes, "Because I need to take a fucking piss! I just told you so! Were you not listening?!"

"I'm sorry babe, I'm not letting you off the hook! If you want to take a piss, you'll have to do it here! Don't worry, I'll clean the sheets afterward!"

Jeremy looked ready to die of asphyxiation, "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Why? Do you have some mental blockage?" he genuinely asked.

"Kol," Jeremy began very slowly, "let me go to the bathroom!"

"No! You're not leaving this bed. I don't trust your kind! You could hurt yourself..."

"I won't do anything! I promise!"

"I don't trust you, my Hunter darling!"

"Let me go to the bathroom!"

"No! Piss here or hold back. But I wouldn't advise you to do that, it's not healthy."

"You are nauseating!" Jeremy frowned his nose in distaste.

Kol patted his head and took another mouthful of spaghetti, "Love, I've made billions of persons pee out fear in front of me, killed thousands of persons, in every possible situation. I've seen everything there is to see. Do you know what happens to the body when someone dies?"

Jeremy grimaced in disgust to show that he knew indeed.

"Then you'll understand that I have grown immune to disgust of that kind over the years. I'm sometimes still even banging the human when that happens. I truly don't mind."

Jeremy looked like he was going to be sick, "Dude, that has to be the grossest thing I've ever heard!"

Kol smiled, "Don't worry, you don't have to do that in front of me! I'll come back when you're finished. Just tell me so that I can clean the sheets before Helen finds out. And bring you some fresh clothes, too."

"Do you really wish to humiliate me so?!" Jeremy's eyes were tearful.

Kol sighed, annoyed, "You, twenty first century humans really are too prude for your own good... It was not such a big deal in the past! People threw their faeces in the streets. Maids would clean the chamber pots every morning, and trust me, most of the time the pot was full..."

"This is not the Middle Ages, Kol! And you're not a maid!"

"Nope, I'm a vampire! _And_ that doesn't change the fact that you are a prude... I've already seen you half naked before..." Kol smirked.

"But this is completely different! My God! What kind of a pervert are you?!"

Kol shrugged, "This is a natural process. I don't understand why you make so much fuss about some bodily fluids!"

Jeremy looked at him, desperate and confused.

"Do you want me to frighten you?" Kol proposed happily, "Usually that helps!"

Jeremy ignored him, "And I'm not a geriatric either! You're not going anywhere near my pants!"

"Yet you seemed to have liked it the last time I did..." Kol grumbled, chewing some spaghetti.

Jeremy's eyes shot daggers, "I never want to talk about that _shameful_ night ever again! _Nothing never happened, do you hear me?_ Just to think that I let you, a sadistic – a scatological – monster touch me makes me want to immolate myself to cleanse my skin from the filthy stains you left on it."

Kol gulped. That hurt. A lot. That night had been their only intimate moment together and Kol cherished it. Apparently, Jeremy did not.

"My! That was poetic!" he chuckled to hide his pain.

"I hate you," Jeremy articulated, looking at him straight in the eye.

Kol gulped and tried to ignore the uncomfortable clench in his chest, "I know!" he only replied with an amused smirk.

"Go away..." Jeremy turned his attention back on the window.

Kol shrugged, "As you wish my good Sir! If you want to marinate in your own crap, that's your problem not mine. That's your ass, after all."

The vampire stood up with the tray, "You sure you don't want to eat anything, darling?" he tried one last time.

Jeremy ignored him. Kol sighed, disappointed to have cooked for nothing. What a lovely duo they were. That was going to be very fun indeed...

* * *

**This chapter is weird and sordid I know. But once again, we're dealing with a human and psychopathic vampire, so his logic is twisted. I think his inability to understand Jeremy's discomfort was genuine (even if he has worsened their already bruised relationship). I just hope you still like this story all the same. Let me know, I wasn't so sure the last part was publishable... If the last conversation is unreadable, I'll edit it.**


	13. XIII

**Hello there! The new chapter is up! The last did not seem to have reach a high amount of popularity, I truly hope it did not turn you off too much. Although this part will be far less sappy than the first one... I'm sorry guys, I just cannot picture their relationship as anything but dysfunctional. Kol is a monster. Jeremy would never get over that. Not in my own perception of his character anyway.**

**I still hope you appreciate the story. **

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XIII.

Kol sighed and passed a hand on his nape. He needed to get his mind off that disastrous conversation. And the faster, the better. He entered the living room and found Helen absorbed in a magazine. He flopped into the sofa, beside her.

"He hates me," he noted with a sad pout.

Helen did not raise her eyes from her magazine and licked the tip of her finger before turning the page, "No, really? How surprising..."

He turned his head in her direction, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"_'Pee in your pants, I'll come change your diaper later!'_" she imitated him then turned to him with a disbelieving look, "Seriously, Kol?"

"What?! I don't trust him!"

"And apparently the feeling is mutual. Not that I blame the poor boy..." She went back on reading.

"I don't recall giving you the permission to talk to me like that!" he snapped, baring his fangs.

She turned to him again, "See?! That's exactly what I'm talking about! Stop being so aggressive all the time! It's not going to make the boy like you any better! Quite contrary!" He opened his mouth to reply but she spoke again, "I know you're a big bad vampire and all but if you want Jeremy to warm up to you, you will have to keep your inner Beast on hold and make an effort to adapt!"

Kol wanted to snap her neck but refrained himself as he realized she was unfortunately right, "I don't know how to do that..." he admitted with reluctance.

"You were doing well two months ago..."

"It was an act. I was pretending and having a Hell of a time doing so..."

"But you did it! Because you knew there were things you couldn't do. You can control yourself! After all, you managed to kiss him without crushing his skull, didn't you? You were doing great and Jeremy liked you!"

"He liked the character I was playing, not me!" Kol bitterly countered, "He _hates_ me! If you had seen his eyes when we met again in that bar... Full of fire... I didn't even give him a reason to detest me so! I've been very nice to him! I even cooked him lunch!" he sulked when he remembered the boy had refused to taste his cuisine.

"You also lied to him, used him, betrayed him, threatened him, abducted him, tied him on a bed, and very recently humiliated him... I'd say you've given him a fairly good amounts of reasons to hate you!"

Kol pouted and cupped his face between his hands. Well, maybe she was a tiny bit right – not that he would tell her.

"Humiliated how? I didn't do anything!" he defended himself, offended.

She gave him a pointed look. _Ah! That! _He shrugged, "Not my fault he's a prude..." he grumbled making the girl sigh.

"Kol, you probably failed to notice that modesty changed over the years but it's a fact. I don't care if back in the fifteenth century, people slept next to their productions and bathed every two months, neither does Jeremy. What he cares about is that now, in 2013, to deprive someone of their baser comfort is an act of humiliation. In other words, to have him soil himself is to degrade him. For humans, degradation is alike humiliation. And let me tell you that it's not a good way to a boy's heart!" Kol kept on sulking, "Why didn't you just let him use the toilet?! That was very low, even for you! And of very bad taste! You're like a zillion times stronger and faster! Give the boy his needed privacy, you've just worsened your relationship! And that's the only thing you did right!"

Helen – 1, Kol – 0.

"What should I care if he likes me or not!" he mumbled with a childish pout, "He's only a means to an end..."

"If it's true then, why didn't you just kill him?"

"Because I can't kill him! If I do, I'd be cursed! I don't fancy that!"

"But you could have found an alternate solution to get rid of him! I trust you on that!"

_Idiotic insightful human! _"I need him alive, okay?!" he snapped, rising from his seat in a rage.

She might have sensed the vampire's patience had reached its limits for she raised her hands in submissive surrender, "Okay."

The vampire's eyes narrowed for a split second before he ran a hand through his hair, "All this psychological diatribe gave me a headache. I'm gonna go get a snack to cool it off! Watch the kid and do not untie him!"

"Kol, I'm compelled!" she reassured him.

He gave her one last warning glance before zooming out.

As he was scanning the streets for a tasty break, he could not stop the raw flood of thoughts which had invaded his buzzing mind. Had he truly screwed up with Jeremy?

The boy had looked positively appalled when Kol denied him his request for privacy; something Kol was unable to understand. Humans were strange. Why did they bother with such petty details? Their lives were already so short! He shrugged, hands in pockets. It's not as if he had threatened to cut off his arm or something - which he actually had, but still!

His eyes spotted a nice looking chew girl on the opposite sidewalk. She was walking her little dog. He frowned and crossed the road. He walked to her and grabbed her arm before she had time to register anything. The dog flew by her side with a yelp of surprise.

He led her and the panicked animal into a small street.

"What do you want? Who are you?" asked the girl, looking at him with imploring eyes when he released her.

Kol frowned. _Humiliation_. Jeremy had thought Kol wanted to humiliate him. Helen had confirmed his suspicion. This girl was _afraid_. Jeremy had looked at him the exact same way, although for a much different matter. _Humans are strange_. It was impossible to understand their incoherent switch. Life and decency seemed to be tarred with the same brush. They triggered the same emotion. Fear. Terror. Which was odd as far as Kol was concerned. That this girl was afraid, Kol could understand; she was pleading for her life after all, and death was _permanent_ (for most people anyway). Jeremy, however, had pleaded for a _temporary _occurrence. Something trivial! A grain of dust in the desert of Time. A trifle with no lasting effect whatsoever. It did not make any sense! _Humiliation is not a good way to a boy's heart_, Helen had said. Perhaps if the vampire threatened his _life_, would Jeremy reconsider his childish reaction to something as insignificant as bladder issues? Although, Kol could not kill him... Jeremy was stubborn but not gullible (much)... Helen, then? No, he needed the girl... Oh! Stupid human psychology! Why did they have to be so darn complicated?

"Sir?"

Kol furrowed his eyebrows, he was having a terrible migraine. Before the girl could talk again, he tore into her throat. The pleasant sensation calmed him immediately. He particularly thrilled the moment his fangs pierced through his aching gums and plunged into the delicate skin to fill his mouth with warm, fresh blood. He wished every gulp could be the first.

Beside her, the dog was barking as loud as it could – probably calling for help.

Kol let the drained body fall on the dirty floor and closed his eyes, savoring the short moment of peace the blood had brought him. He cracked an eye open to check on the frantic animal. It was a tiny chihuahua with big butterfly ears. It sensed Kol's inherent dangerousness and tried to get away, growling. Kol chuckled. Such a tiny defenseless little thing.

The dog bared its small teeth, trying to look intimidating. It was cute, actually. The vampire chuckled again and launched forward.

Back to the flat, he put the dog down gently. Her yelps brought Helen's attention upon her.

"What is that?" she inquired.

"It's Chloe!"

"Where did you get her?"

"I may have had her Mistress for dinner..." he shrugged, falsely apologetic.

She cast him a dirty glare, "You are so not going to kill an innocent animal under this roof!" she warned him, her index pointed at him, "I'm a vegan!"

"Relax, darling! I'm not going to kill her! It's been a while since I actually had a dog! I missed it!"

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow, "_You_ like dogs?!"

"Yes _I_ like dogs! Why?"

"Because I'd figured you'd be more the type to turn them into living bags and carpet... Especially tiny ones such as this one!"

He glared at her, "_Anyway_... I'm gonna go have a chit-chat with Junior here. I've thought about what you said earlier. It's time to put on my Charming costume!" he announced with a charming smile.

She sighed but smiled at the bouncing pet, "Good luck with that!"

Kol glared at her. She ignored him, completely absorbed by Chloe's belly.

Jeremy was still on the bed – of course. His face was contorted with a grimace of pain. When he saw Kol, he cast him a murderous glare, "If you've come to collect the rubbish, you came for nothing..."

"Wow! You've got some endurance, mate! I'm impressed!" _Be good._

The boy looked straight at him with a pained expression, "It hurts."

Kol shrugged, "Told you not to hold back... Now you've probably blocked your all system."

"Go away. The more I see you, the sicker I feel..."

The vampire cocked an eyebrow, "You're being extra nice, today!"

"That's the pleasure of your company!"

Kol's eyes narrowed, "Stop being a brat or I might turn around before you have a chance to hear what I have to say."

"And I should care because?!"

"It's in your best interest!"

"Oh is it, really?!" the boy was being sarcastic.

"I'm here to make a deal with you. I'm not a lenient man, Jeremy. Please don't provoke me," Kol's tone was dangerously low.

The boy swallowed, he knew the vampire's patience was coming to an end, "What kind of deal?"

"That's better! See, after much deliberation with my Merciful self, I've decided to grant you the access to some accommodation." He walked to the bed, "However, let me tell you right away that it'd be particularly unwise to try to cross me. My physical abilities are much, _much_ higher than yours. Do not overestimate your meager training with baby Salvatore as a conceivable protection! You're nothing but a bug I could crush with a finger. Never forget that!" he paused, the boy was looking at him deeply, "To be more specific, let's just say that should you try something, I'd gouge your eyes out and go back on my word. Deprived of sight and modesty, you'd win the Jackpot! Not to mention the horrible pain...", he leaned in to whisper a few inches away form his face, "So, do you want to play smart, or stupid?"

Although the boy was trying very hard to look poised and self-possessed, Kol could hear his heart thundering in his chest. He was terrified and could not completely master the spasms of his body a human eye would not have been equipped to notice.

He gulped, "I'll take the smart card..." his voice sounded shaky.

Their proximity was obviously not helping either.

Kol smirked and ran his thumb over his cheekbone, making the boy tremble even more, "That's a good choice!"

He let his fingers trail from the human's face to his wrist, brushing past his neck, shoulder and arm in the process – he particularly insisted on the boy's pulse point, letting the rapid flow of his blood stroke the tip of his fingers through the thin barrier of protective skin. He closed his eyes for a brief couple of seconds and inhaled deeply.

"You smell so good..." he whispered, his mouth a few inches from Jeremy's neck. _If only I could have but a taste. _

The boy was so stiff he could have passed for a statue. Kol ignored it and untied his wrist. He then kept the numbed appendage in his hand and rubbed it gently to make the blood run again. After a few seconds, he released it and treated the other equally.

He faced him again, "You promise to be good?!"

"I happen to value my eyes..." Jeremy replied coldly. He probably wanted to add something witty but abstained for fear of repercussions – which was a wise choice.

Kol held his stormy gaze for a few seconds before he grabbed the boy's wrist to lead him to the promised he opened the door, Jeremy rushed inside. Kol was about to follow him but the kid cut him off, "I don't need you to hold it, thank you!"

The vampire raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The boy disappeared inside. Kol felt a presence beside him. He turned to find Helen staring at him, Chloe in her arms.

Kol smiled a big toothy smile and beamed at her as would have a self-satisfied child, "See? I'm being Charming!"

However, she looked unimpressed, "Next time, try without the threat, Charming... It's just a piece of advice..." she mumbled.

Kol' shoulders dropped in discouragement. A pout formed on his lips. He strained his ears to make sure Jeremy did not try to grab any sort of useless weapon. He heard him sigh and repress a sob. The vampire puckered his lips with annoyance. He was being nice and the boy cried?! Ungrateful mortal!

"He's crying!" Kol growled.

"Yes, Kol, he's crying. I think that if a psychopathic vampire I used to like kept me locked up and threatened to blind me, I would cry too..."

Kol cast her a nasty glare, "I've been very nice to him! He's an ungrateful idiot!"

Helen sighed, "We are so not having this conversation right now!"

Jeremy reappeared, eyes red and puffy.

"I didn't know Hunters peed from their eyes!" he vilely noted.

"Kol!" Helen admonished him with a pointed look.

The vampire scoffed in annoyance, "Fine! Shall we go back, my good friend?" he inquired in a syrupy voice, extending his hand to the boy. "Or should you like a bubble bath?"

The human's eyes shone with undisguised hatred. From the corner of his eye, Kol caught Helen's disapproving look. _What?_ The human obediently gave him his arm which he took in a vice grip to get him back to his quarters. Beside him, Helen whispered in his ear, "Will you stop behaving like a kid? You really _are_ impossible!"

The vampire scoffed silently and guided the human back on the bed to tie him up again.

"So, who is this girl?" Jeremy inquired as Kol began to tie his left wrist to the bedframe again, "Your new secretary? Your _girlfriend_?!" For some odd reason, Jeremy began to laugh hysterically as if he had just cracked a good joke.

Kol remained unimpressed, "It's Helen, the owner of this place!"

"Oh! And you let her, _a human girl_, speak to you like that? How unlike you!"

Kol shrugged, "She's compelled not to be afraid! She just doesn't care, I guess..."

Jeremy remained silent for a while, "I'm surprised you kept the dog... Chihuahua can be noisy little things..."

"The dog is new. I killed her owner and brought her home with me" Kol casually replied, tying the second one, "Is it too tight?"

Jeremy ignored him. He looked at him, incredulous and disgusted, "So you kill the humans and adopt the pets? Is it some kind of bizarre Original hobby? You're storing food for the Winter?"

"I don't eat animals."

"No, you just like to torture them!"

Kol stopped caring about the straps completely and turned his full angry intention on Jeremy, "Actually no, I don't! I happen to genuinely enjoy the company of animals!"

Jeremy cocked an eyebrow, "Really? That's so unlike you!" There was so much venom in his voice.

_Unlike me! Like you know me at all! _"Why are you being like that?" Kol inquired, "Why are you so keen on rejecting me? I let you use the bloody loo, didn't I?" _Ungrateful bastard!_

"And that was so generous of you!" Jeremy rolled his eyes.

Kol felt his blood boil. His jaw was clenched, his ears flushed with fury. Helen's advice was not having the anticipated effect.

In a split second, he was on Jeremy, furious to be so openly mocked, "I seem to recall telling you to behave! I'm not a nice guy, Jeremy!"

"I already knew that!" Jeremy interrupted.

Kol grabbed the boy's face roughly, his thumbs on his cheekbones. Jeremy's heart thumped loudly, "Remember that conversation about your eyes?! Or maybe should I just go on with ripping off your arms instead, just like I'd promised you beforehand. You won't be needing them anymore, anyway!"

Jeremy's glare was hateful, "I should have known you were a demented sadist."

Kol chuckled, "Did my numerous slips betray me so much?"

"No, I just used to like you. That's usually not a good sign."

The past tense hurt. Kol refused to show it, though. The boy would not reach him so easily. He cared for a sparring match? Kol was game!

He leaned in and let his hands fall on the boy' shirt instead.

"Why should I care if you like me or not?" he whispered with a grin, "You were a mission! A prize! My reward for Niklaus' success with the death of your sister! I only hung out with you because I was _bored_! Once your sister laid six feet under, I was supposed to have you all for myself! You can't imagine all the things I'd planned to do to you then! All those hours spent listening to your imaginary screams of agony while you confided about your petty life!" Obviously Kol was winning, Jeremy looked on the verge of tears, "What did you expect? I'm a thousand years old, you're a whinny newborn. Insignificant. Uninteresting! You're nothing! Only a temporary distraction. A nice body to tear open and bleed. _A chew toy_. I made that deal with you as an act of goodwill. I can repeal it just as quickly."

Silence followed Kol's outburst. They were close, their noses almost touched. The boy looked hurt, this was much certain. Kol inwardly smirked, satisfied to have won the game. His eyes fell on the full lips. He wanted to kiss him so desperately. Or slap him, perhaps. Probably both. _That stupid boy!_

However, Jeremy's teary eyes soon dried into sheer hatred, "Fuck you!_" _he answered icily, staring straight into Kol's lightly surprised eyes.

_What?_ The boy was supposed to cry! He was not supposed to speak back - _insult_ him!

Yet, he did, "Do what you want! For all I care! Go on! Torture me! _Toy_ with me! If that can fill up your hollow little life! I'm here, tied on a fucking beg, at your complete Mercy! So come on, Kol! Do what you fucking want! Give a sense to all that abduction shit!" he was yelling in the end, his eyes oddly shinning.

Kol's mouth gaped open in shock. He had _not_ seen that one coming! My God! What had Damon Salvatore fed that boy?! Was fierceness a side effect of being a Hunter?

Blinded with rage and astonishment, the vampire slapped him across the face, slicing into his tender cheek, "Never talk to me like that again!" he spat.

With that, he left the bed and slammed the door shut.

Helen was waiting just behind.

"That was lovely..." she said when he had locked up the door again.

"I can't do that!" he told her, still red in the face.

"What has gotten into you? One minute you're being 'nice' and the second you're a total jerk! Why?"

"He earned it! He provoked me... I tried to sweeten his captivity and that's the thanks I got! He deserves far worse than angry words and a slap in the face!" Kol was already mustering all the punishments he could inflict upon him.

"Give him time!"

"Time? Time for what? What am I supposed to do, Helen?! Did you not hear him? Did you not hear when he spat in my face like the ungrateful bastard he is?!"

"What did you expect? A hug?"

Kol began to brood, "I don't know... He's an ungrateful bastard! I should have never listened to you!"

Helen rolled her eyes, "Whatever!" she walked to the living room and switched the TV on.

He followed her suit, "Seriously, I'm so going to have my ways with him! That was the plan after all! He's right, I should get productive!"

"Don't do that! Unless you want to ruin everything for good!"

"Ruin what?! It's already ruined! He keeps rejecting me over and over again!"

"Then give him a reason to stop," she proposed softly, "An actual reason."

"Like what?"

"You're the millennium old Original badass. Surely you can find something suitable."

"I'm badass in killing, not in thinking. That's your job. And the last time you did it didn't turn out quite as expected... Surely you want to fix that. You wouldn't want me to see you as a liability, now would you?"

He eyed her dangerously. She swallowed. He flopped down onto the couch next to her. Chloe jumped on his lap. He smiled and patted her soft tiny head. Jeremy could go to Hell, he had made a new friend.

* * *

**There you are! Yes, things are not doing so great between Kol and Jeremy... About Helen, I think Kol sees her a bit like a replacement sister, which is probably why he is rather patient with her.**

**I hope you liked it! I had trouble writing, I was never satisfied with what I wrote... I hope the final product is not too bad.**


	14. XIV

**Hello there! Here comes the 14th chapter! I hope you guys will like it! I sure had fun writing it! I'm sorry it took so long to arrive but I've been back to my old gaming habits and between Mass Effect, Simcity and Tomb Raider I did not find much time to write...  
**

**Tonight is the Finale. I'm excited, I must say. Kol was in the last episode along with Jeremy! (Jeremy this was no way to greet your husband) Maybe Kol will be the one to be resurrected and join the Originals... Even if that means character development - romantic interest - random girl spoiling my gay Kol mood.**

* * *

XIV.

Three days passed during which no progress was made. Kol had decided to ignore the grumpy boy – he would not talk to him after the vampire's cruel outburst anyway. He only paid a visit to his room to attend to the boy's needs, aka food and bathroom – the boy peed way much more than he ate actually. It was rather awkward for the Original to spoon-feed him with like a baby, and Jeremy most certainly resented it.

Three days and Kol expected a furious call from Niklaus anytime; the human had probably been reported missing already and considering their last encounter it would not take long for the Hybrid to put two and two together.

He sighed and finished his beer. He was in a bar, trying to let go off steam a little. The music was loud but it reflected his mood. As if on cue, his phone buzzed. He rolled his eyes and picked up. How predictable!

"Niklaus! What a coincidence! I had just decided that I wanted to have my evening ruined!"

"What have you done?" growled his brother who sounded more like a wolf than a person. _As usual..._

Kol feigned ignorance, "Ordered a beer and fed on a nice looking fellow. Why?"

Niklaus positively roared, "Spare me your childish temper, where is the Gilbert boy?!"

Kol checked his watch, "Let me see, it's past midnight, I assume the kid to be neatly tucked away in his bed! Or maybe eating... Hunters have quite the appetite!"

"Enough! The boy has been reported missing! And he seems to have strangely vanished very little time after you threatened him."

"So?" Kol asked while munching on some appetizers.

"Where is he? What have you done to him?" his voice was murderous, "Tell me at once or next time we meet I'll tuck you away in the bed of the ocean where no one will ever find you."

Cold sweat covered Kol's forehead at the unpleasant prospect, "Easy there! I didn't do anything! I swear! I have no interest in the Hunter's curse! I happen to value my sanity, or at least what little sanity I have left! Go get yourself another scapegoat! Rebekah is craving some attention."

"I know you Kol, you'd find an alternative! You always do! Where is he?!"

"I don't know Nik!" he kept on lying, "Honest! I'm miles away from your mundane conundrums and intend to keep it that way. Look, I did threaten the kid back then, I admit it. Just as I did beat up Damon Salvatore, make a mess and leave town. Now I'm enjoying a refreshment in nice soon to be dead company and wish to make the most of it far, far away from all of you as much as possible. I don't know where Jeremy Gilbert is and I don't care! He could be rotting in the middle of the forest or making sand castles on a beach in Costa Rica that I wouldn't care less! But if you're in dire need of a Hunter, put an ad in a paper, stick some posters up the poles, and get yourself a brand new one! See you in a few centuries! Or not..."

He hung up and took a deep breath. He had done it! He had fucking done it! He finished his beer, a content smile gracing his lips. Unfortunately, a few minutes had barely passed that his phone buzzed again.

"_If it happens that you lied to me, I will roam the Earth until I find you. I am sure the fish will enjoy having a new friend with whom to play."_

Kol sighed. What a charming brother he had!

He returned at Helen's a bit after two in the morning. He stopped in front of Jeremy's bedroom door, tempted to go check if the boy was asleep. He pondered whether to come in or walk by for a minute before deciding to be true to his desires, no matter how corny they sounded. He would chastise himself later – it would not be the first time Jeremy made him act out of character.

He opened the door softly and peaked inside. The boy was sleeping in an oddly twisted position, his head falling on his side, his arms held back behind him to meet the frame of the bed. Kol cringed, it did not look to be a very comfortable position. Then again, it was not as if the boy had a choice in the matter.

The vampire sighed and approached. He would berate and despise himself later, he decided, as he listened to his inner voice – for once! - and loosened the straps around the ankylosed wrists. Stupid boy who was turning him into a big softy! First that pain in the arse of a deal and now that... Kol shook his head in despair towards his self-control, or blatant lack thereof.

He would regret it, this he knew much.

He spared one final glance to the sleepy face before him and left the room with a silent sigh.

He found Helen curled up on the couch in the living room, Chloe gathered in her arms. He smirked and settled in the nearby armchair he had set ownership upon. He closed his eyes and let the darkness engulf him.

While he was lost in a very strange dream featuring a train and a swimming pool, his Original senses registered something that gradually disturbed his slumber and bade his conscious to stir. It was a faint thud. An echo. _Something_. He snapped his eyes open.

His instinct kicked in. Something was not right. He focused. He could hear a heart beating faster, a ragged breath, the soft brushing of feet against the floor. A quick glance at the couch told him that Helen had not moved. Neither had the dog.

His eyes widened. _Oh no!_

He zoomed to the bedroom in a split second and burst the door open. Just as he had expected, the bed was empty and the straps tossed on the floor. Kol grimaced in rage towards his own stupidity.

_Oh the little...!_

He focused. The boy was near, he could smell him and hear his heart thundering. His vampire sense abruptly warned him about an impending danger. It came from behind.

He turned smoothly just in time to catch the wooden arrow the Hunter had unleashed in his direction. Where the bloody Hell did he get that?

"Seriously, Jeremy?!" he growled, far from pleased. He could not believe it! He had loosened his shackles to grant him more comfort in an act of complete emotional weakness and that was how the boy thanked him?!

He launched forward and grabbed the human before he had reached the doorstep. The boy squeaked as the vampire tossed him back on the bed harshly, knocking his head against the wall in the process.

Kol softly closed the door and reported his attention back on the traitor in front of him. Jeremy laid helplessly on the bed, a look of complete dejection in the eye. As for Kol, he was way too engrossed into pacing up and down the room to notice and care. He could not believe the idiot had actually thought he could overpower him! Foolishness had to be a dominant gene among the Gilberts!

He eventually began to talk, "There are two things that I do not take kindly, Jeremy – well many things actually, but two especially – mosquitos and betrayal," he stopped pacing to face the boy directly, "You shouldn't have done that! That was stupid. Exceptionally so," he gauged the boy's reaction. There was none. Jeremy was staring back at him, perfectly aware of his unenviable predicament, "What were you thinking? Uh? You thought you could escape from _me_?! Sneak out in the middle of the night unnoticed?!" he cracked a humorless smile, "I thought you smarter than that! Did you truly think that you could _overpower_ me?! Like really? I'm an Original, Jeremy! I'm _unmatched_. You're still alive because I _want_ you to. I am the most powerful creature on this Planet! Did you not listen to my little speech?! Did you not hear what I said?! When I told you that you held no chance at all against me, which negative did you not understand exactly?" although his tone was calm, he was inwardly fuming with rage.

As the boy remained unnervingly silent, Kol sat on the bed and leaned in to whisper a few inches away from the other's face, "I have been quite soft on you, my Darling. I've fed you, granted you your request for hygiene and privacy and I even tried to soften your sleep by loosening your straps – yes, it was me. And that's how you thank me? By spitting my fair warning back in my face? How rude! How _foolish_!"

"I did what I had to do," Jeremy whispered steadily, "I had to try."

"And yet here you are! Back to square one like a dummy! Which is putting you in a very _unpleasant_ situation I'm afraid for I must now honor my part of the broken deal..." he smiled a falsely apologetic smile as the boy gulped audibly, "Was it worth it? Were your few minutes of freedom worth the punishment you set upon yourself?" he inquired.

The boy did not reply anything. He merely swallowed, a tear rolled on his cheek. Kol pretended to be moved, "Aw, how cute!" his expression hardened, "Save your tears for later, you will have quite the quantity to shed when I'm toying with you!"

Jeremy's breath became absolutely anarchistic. So was Kol's nervous system.

"Speaking of tears, what about those eyes of yours?! Their safety was insured as part of the contract, if I recall correctly. No more contract, no more eyes! Or maybe your arms?! What shall I remove first?" he stopped talking when he realized his words, "Ugh! See?! I'm doing it again! I'm giving you a choice! Like _naturally_! Unbelievable!" he stopped again and ran a hand through his hair to calm himself, "Anyway! What do you prefer?!"

Jeremy glared at him with shining eyes but said nothing.

"You know what, I'm thinking about what you told me a few days ago actually. You know, that I should give a meaning to that 'abduction shit' and all! And you're right! I'd written a real list of all the things I wanted to do back in our bonding time! When your friends came to pick you I thought I'd never have the occasion to put it into practice again. I was so disappointed! But here we are! It's the perfect occasion don't you think?!"

Again, Jeremy chose silence. Yet, his shaky body and ragged breath betrayed his actual emotional state.

"I won't touch your eyes yet," Kol decided out loud, "I want to see the pain reflect in them as you regret over and over again your foolish little stunt!"

He used his vampire speed to tie the boy back to the frame, quite tightly this time. The boy whimpered, "Serves you right!" Kol grumbled under his breath, "I'll be right back."

He made his quick way to the kitchen to retrieve a cleaver and a knife. Kol had tried to be nice and the boy betrayed him. That was fine by him! The human would learn his lesson. Besides, Kol would not let such an opportunity to finally touch the boy again slip away.

"What you doing?" said a sleepy voice behind him.

"Go back to bed."

"What's that for?"

He turned to face a very confused Helen, "Jeremy tried to escape..." _I can't trust him._

The girl opened her mouth, "Kol..."

"Don't!" he cut her off, "If you know what's good for you, you gonna stay in the living room and keep your mouth shut."

She refrained from replying anything; she knew better than to question her intolerant roommate. She lowered her head and nodded before going back to where she came from and closing the door.

Kol got back to the bedroom, his instruments in hand. When he saw them, Jeremy's eyes widened in terror and his breath caught in his throat.

"Alright," Kol began lightly, putting the knife on the end-table, "As I said, there was a fair amount of things I wanted to try on you. I like to think that I share a bit of Niklaus' inclination for the Arts. Though I'm not sure you will _enjoy_ my creativity..." he frowned, thoughtful. He approached him with the cleaver in hand, "I suggest we get this Hunter problem over with already, so I can focus on more interesting matters."

Jeremy shivered and looked up to the ceiling, as if this simple gesture would save him from his Fate.

Kol sat just in front of him, dangerously close, "There, there! It's just you and I now! I've been waiting for this moment for so long you can't imagine how thrilled I am right now!" _You're all mine! _He cast a glance at the dejected boy, "Don't look at me like that! You know, I don't like doing this either - well no, that's not true, I do like it actually - but I did try to avoid this kind of situation with you. I had never been so patient, so _lenient_ with any human before. And you slapped me in the face. Not nice, Jeremy! Not nice at all!" he paused for a moment, "No need to plead or beg, you get what you deserve," he stopped again, "Which arm is it?"

"Don't you ever get tired of listening to yourself?!" Jeremy asked.

Kol stared at him, furious. Jeremy stared back just as hard. The insolent boy was actually challenging him! That just beat everything!

"Take that back!" he hissed, baring his fangs.

"Make me!" Jeremy retorted. In spite of his fear he would not let the vampire win. Not completely anyway. The boy had guts, Kol would grant him that.

Silence ensued as they both grew absorbed into a staring contest.

For a moment, Kol lost himself into those shining brown orbs. He let the warm breath of the boy caress his face, listened to his panicked heart. His whole world became Jeremy. His all senses infused with his. His wrath made his head spin. He raised the cleaver up, ready to strike.

And kissed him. Hard.

It took him a moment to realize that his mouth had crashed against the human's on its own accord. It seemed that his body parts were dislocated and his brain had gone on a temporary holiday. He let the cleaver fall to the ground in a metallic clash and grabbed the boy's face between his hands to focus on his lips and the warmth of his skin against his palms. Jeremy was as rigid as a statue, probably frozen with shock. Not that Kol blamed him, it was as much of a shock to him as well. Things were not going according to plan. Yet, after a moment, he felt the boy's lips begin to move hesitantly against his and he moaned. _Fuck it all!_ The kiss deepened. Heat built up all around them. Kol let go of his mouth to attack his jaw and neck. He inhaled the human's blood deeply and sucked on his pulse point, making the beloved carmine liquid flow to the surface of his creamy skin. _So delectable._ Unable to resist, he let the dark veins swell beneath his blackening eyes and bit down, making the boy whimper helplessly. The warm metallic liquid invaded his eager mouth and Kol knew Bliss. _So fucking good. _Hunter's blood. _Jeremy's blood_. The knowledge in itself was almost enough to bring him over the edge.

"Don't stop," Jeremy surprisingly breathed out as the vampire drank greedily from him. That was unexpected! Was the boy actually _enjoying_ this? (Not that Kol cared but still) Judging by the bulge poking Kol in the stomach, the boy apparently was. What a pleasant surprise!

He kept on drinking while kneeling between the human's legs to be as close to him as possible as he began to unbutton the boy's pants in a frenzy.

"Wait!" Jeremy cried out, fear evident in his voice.

Kol looked up, blood dripping down his chin "What?" he snapped angry to have been so brutally stopped.

The boy's eyes were full of fear, he looked ready to cry.

Kol rolled his eyes, "You want me to play butcher instead? I can't guarantee the same degree of pleasure, though. Not for you anyway..."

Jeremy gulped but soon gave in to the vampire as he kissed him again to sign his final agreement.

The vampire smiled against his mouth, "Besides, I know you want it too! I can _feel_ it! Don't deny that!" He sealed their mouths again.

He used his speed to rip open their jeans and tossed them on the ground. Then he spat on his hand and kissed the boy as he began to stroke the swollen member to lubricate it a little "I'll try not to break you... much!" he smirked dirty.

Jeremy's breath had caught in his throat. His eyes fluttered closed. Kol wasted no time and impaled himself swiftly on the boy who chocked in surprise and looked up at him with bulging eyes.

"What?" Kol breathed, "Not what you expected? Sorry to disappoint!"

Jeremy still looked completely dazed from the unexpected turn of events. Kol began to move up and down above him, a grimace on his face. Without preparations, it hurt like a Bitch but it was not going to stop him. Quite contrary. He fucked himself harder and faster, gripping the human's upper-arms while trying his utmost not to crush his bones. They kissed again. They moaned. They panted. Sweat glistened on their skin. The bed bumped regularly into the wall. Jeremy looked so beautiful with his eyes closed and his swollen lips slightly parted.

Kol realized that he wanted to feel the boy's hands on him. Yet, after what happened, he did not trust him to behave, even in such a weakened state. _Next time, you won't be tied up_. _I'll fuck you with your hands free! _He came sealing that inner promise with himself, sinking his teeth into Jeremy again, making the boy follow him suit in a strangled cry.

The cleaver laid forgotten on the floor just as the knife remained on the table, untouched.

Things had not gone according to plan.

He left the room and the bruised boy with a sigh. True, the events had taken a much interesting and unforeseen twist, but nothing had happened like it should have had. He was supposed to teach the boy a lesson for his betrayal, instead of which he had given him an orgasm! Wonderful! What a marvelous display of ruthlessness and cruelty! _At least, you fed on him... twice..._ At least... _But he liked it. Not so much of a punishment... _

He found himself facing a very flushed Helen, "So, that's your secret weapon to torture people?" she asked, amused.

Kol glared at her, "Oh shut up!"

He walked past her to go lock himself in the bathroom where no one would be able to disturb him. He froze. That was it! He had found his way to keep the boy in check while allowing him a certain freedom of movement - for practical reasons, he reasoned. He made a switch to grab the phone.

"Who are you calling?" Helen asked.

"A friend."

She cocked an eyebrow, "_You_ have friends?"

He glared at her. The phone rang three times before a sleepy voice answered, "Yeah?"

"Hillary! How do you fare?!" Kol greeted happily.

"Kol?! What do you want? It's four in the morning!" she complained.

"I need your assistance. Care to come for a bewitching visit in fair Colorado?"

* * *

**So? I know that I should have mentioned the sex scene in the head note but it would have spoiled the chapter in my humble opinion. I hope you liked it! I hesitated, I did not know if I wanted them to have sex yet but Kol insisted that they had to... His fault! So they got make-up sex, even if Jeremy is not going to be so happy about it... (well Kol did kidnap him and threatened him more than once!)**


	15. XV

**Hey there! New chapter! I really want to thank you all for your reviews or just for liking my story! **

**About the last episode, what a disappointment! I truly thought it would be epic! When it was not. Not really. The Beremy kiss made me retch (Death to Beremy!). I absolutely despise this cheap couple! And I feel sorry for Katherine. Now to wait for 6 months before we know what's happening next.**

**I hope you will like this chapter! Oh and one last thing, many people seem to have been surprised to see Kol being the "bottom" in the last chapter. I think that it doesn't matter to Kol as long as he keeps control of the situation and he definitely was in control of everything.**

**Onto the chapter now!**

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XV.

"You asked for me, my Darling?" Kol drooled, peering through the door.

"I would like to take a shower," Jeremy answered neutrally, avoiding his eyes.

"Naturally!" Kol agreed enthusiastically.

He approached the boy, still covered in the remnants of their passion, and proceeded to undo his bonds. The silence was heavy. A strong smell of sex and sweat still filled the whole room, making the situation awkward for apparently the both of them. Kol was nervous and struggled with the straps in a desperate attempt at getting away as quick as possible. He was not used to being in the same room as a lover after _it_ happened – not that Kol had ever had a lover before, his bed-partners being either dead or kicked out or left behind at this stage. But Jeremy was different. Jeremy was not dead nor was he abandonable, as it would pretty much screw the whole abduction initial purpose. Jeremy was still there and Kol had no other choice but to deal with it.

And so they were stuck together in this room filled with maddening silence and musky flavor. Jeremy would not look at him or talk, he remained stubbornly mute.

Kol nervously checked the naked body in front of him. Dark bruises had formed on the skin of his arms and hips where Kol had gripped him while lost in his passion and the bite marks on his neck looked nasty. He frowned and grimaced as guilt fluttered about his heart. _It could have been worse_.

Unable to bear the heavy silence, he decided to speak, "Sorry about the marks," he began awkwardly.

What was one supposed to say in this kind of situation? Should he congratulate the boy for his performance? Even though Kol had done most of the work. Would that not be rude? Distasteful? He was at a loss for words. What did lovers say afterward? _Except that you're not lovers. _Should he kiss the boy and propose a second round? _Bad idea_. What did the boy expect from him? _Be nice._ Should he joke about the whole thing? _Bad idea_. Jeremy would most likely be offended. Or maybe not. He just did not know.

"You should be healed pretty soon. They don't look so bad," he touched one. The boy winced. Kol winced with him. _It could have been worse._ "I could give you some of my blood but I'm not sure about the effect it would have on your system, being a Hunter and all. I don't assume us to be compatible."_ Wrong wording. Don't reject him when you two had sex mere moments ago, you idiot! _"What I mean is that I don't want risking poisoning you. That'd be a waste!" he smiled awkwardly. Jeremy kept his eyes locked on the wall in front of him. "Maybe I'm wrong but I've never heard of a Hunter being cured with vampire blood before," he thought his words for a moment, "Then again I've never met a Hunter that needed to be cured. Well, apart from you that is... But you're the first Hunter that I keep alive. I usually have them killed, so!" _Stop! Now! _He was making a fool of himself. Jeremy cast him a murderous glare and Kol gulped. _If eyes could kill. _He cleared his throat to put on a brave face, "Yeah... Anyway..."

He helped the boy on his feet. He remembered Helen's lesson on human modesty and wrapped a blanket around his waist to cover his nudity. Nervousness grooved back into Kol's heart as silence settled again.

So he kept on talking – just to make things worse because he had not done enough damage already, "It could have been worse. The bruises, I mean. As I said, most of the humans I fucked ended up either crippled or dead. Well, all of them actually. You're the only survivor! See, you're doing good!" he smiled at the human whose eyes shot daggers into Kol' soul. _Shut up! _"Yeah... Anyway..." he lowered his gaze, utterly dejected by his own foolishness.

The awkward silence settled once more for a short while. However, he could feel Jeremy's burning eyes on him this time.

"Were you diagnosed with autism as a kid?" the boy suddenly asked.

Kol looked up and frowned, "What is _autism_?"

"Never mind."

The vampire shrugged and led the human to the bathroom.

"Can I join you?" he flirted.

"No!" Jeremy answered as cold as ice and slammed the door in the vampire's face.

"Alright!" Kol said to the door, "Next time then!"

"Kol? Are you okay?" Helen asked when he did not move.

He turned to her, "I am the King of Nerds," he announced with a dejected smile, "May all the Nerds bow before me!" he went back to the bedroom to change the sheets.

Hillary arrived in the afternoon. She was a tall and athletic red-headed woman as well as an extremely powerful witch of almost one hundred and fifty years old. Kol greeted her with a smile, "Was the trip okay?"

"I hate the plane. I'll never get used to that flying machine. It's unnatural. If humans were meant to fly they would be born with wings," she said.

Kol chuckled as she removed her jacket, "Care for a drink?"

She nodded, "I must say that I didn't really understand what you want from me. You were kind of vague on the phone."

"That was just the point, Darling!" he poured her a glass of whiskey that she took.

"What's going on?"

"It's an extremely long story," he took a gulp of his own drink, "Let's just say that I need you to help me with a certain someone."

She cocked an eyebrow, "Who happens to be...?" she trailed.

Kol finished his glass and put it back on the table in a clinking sound, "Follow me." He led her to the bedroom where they met a very apathetic Jeremy, "Jeremy, this is my friend, Hillary. Hillary, this is my Darling, Jeremy!" he introduced them.

She looked at Kol with a frown. Jeremy did not even bother to acknowledge her. He simply stared at Kol, disbelieving, "Your friend? _You_ have friends?"

Kol grimaced, annoyed. _Why does everybody keep asking me that?_ "Yes, I have friends!" he snapped back.

"How do you have friends? Do you compel them?!"

Kol's patience was growing thin. How dared he mock him in front of his guest, "Hillary is a witch! She can't be compelled! And she's here for you by the way!"

This seemed to have stirred the human's curiosity who finally looked at the witch, "I already know a witch. And she's going to get me before yours can do anything! She'll find me and they'll come for me!"

_Blablabla!_ Kol sighed. Such insolence!

"I doubt that, my boy!" he smiled cruelly, "See, Jeremy, there's something you're forgetting. A trifle, really. My mother was a witch. I spent my whole human life surrounded with witches. I _know_ magic. I know the powers of nature and how to use them properly. Did you not wonder why your _ex_ had not found you yet? After four days?! Or tried to contact you?" Jeremy was looking at him, interest stirred, "Because she can't! She may be an efficient witch, but she's still a child. I, on the contrary, am not. I always watch my back before doing anything," he pointed at the floor near the door, "See that white trail over there? It's a special kind of salt. When used the right way, it triggers a sort of magical barrage. When near it, you became untraceable. You disappear entirely, wiped off from the surface of the Earth. That's kind of handy when you have a paranoid tyrannical hybrid brother after your ass! Anyway, your girlfriend can try all the location spells she wants, she'll never find you!" he smiled again.

Jeremy remained silent. Obviously, he was mad.

"What do you want from me?!" Jeremy asked, tired.

"To keep you here," Kol explained, "To ensure your obedience."

"I won't try to escape again. I promise. I won't make that mistake a second time. I learned my lesson. Believe me!" Jeremy gritted his teeth.

Kol frowned, outraged by the silent implication. _We had a great time! What is your fucking problem?!_ He began to fume, "I wish I could believe you, Darling, but I don't. I don't believe you. I don't trust you. Hillary is going to make sure that you can't leave. Ever."

Jeremy looked at the witch, defeated, "What are you going to do?"

"Just a simple imprisonment spell."

"You're going to lock me up in an invisible bubble?!"

"That's a way to put it," she replied neutrally.

Jeremy closed his eyes briefly and looked at Kol, desperately, "Kol, please. I won't leave. I promise. Just, don't lock me up in some kind of separate dimension."

"See the good side of it, Jerbear! You won't be tied up anymore! You'll be free to move wherever you want in the flat! No more 'Kol, I want food! Kol, I want to use the toilet! Kol, I want to take a bath! Kol! Kol! Kol!' You'll get your free will back!"

Jeremy seemed to ponder the information, "And what makes you think I won't try to attack you?!"

Kol rolled his eyes, "I thought we'd already established the fact that you can't harm me! And if you're too stupid to ever try again, you won't be getting an orgasm as a punishment. Not this time!"

Jeremy immediately blushed, embarrassed, and looked away swiftly. Hillary did not say anything, but the nervous lick on her lips did show of her amusement.

"So?" Kol spoke again, "Do we have an agreement?"

"Why would you do that? Why would you partially free me? What's in for you?"

Kol was about to reply tit for tat when he realized that he had no idea what to say. What was in for him? Besides the obvious easier physical contact? Clearly nothing. Why would he grant a partial freedom to his prisoner? _Your almost lover._ Why did he care? Did he, truly? The answer was positive. He did care for the boy's comfort. As disturbing as the thought was – and foreign. _He cared about Jeremy Gilbert and did not wish to see him uncomfortable if he could avoid it._ Yet, none were worthy motives.

"My sanity," he replied instead, "I'm sick of playing Nanny! I'd rather occupy my time much more productively. You know, going out and terrorizing innocent children. This kind of thing. Instead of which, I'm stuck here to tend to every single of your human need like a nurse. I won't take that no more."

Jeremy looked like he wanted to say something. _If you ask me why I even care about your needs, I'll rip your vocal cords out. _However, the boy refrained himself from talking.

"Gentlemen," Hillary snapped them away from their trance, "Shall we proceed? I don't have all day!"

"Go on," Kol gave her the green light.

He left the room to retrieve a blood bag. When he returned to the room, he caught them talking. He stopped to listen to their conversation.

"Why are your helping him?" Jeremy was inquiring, "I thought witches were servants of Nature! Kol is a Monster!"

Kol gritted his teeth. He really should have cut that imbecile's arms after all.

"Family acquaintance."

"What do you mean?"

"As Kol told you, his was raised with witches. As a vampire, he remained quite close to witch covens. My coven especially. He often comes with us to travel around the world."

"And you let him?"

"Kol and I have a mutual understanding of each other. A shared respect."

"Respect? You gotta be kidding me! Unless you're an evil witch, I don't see how you can respect such a sordid person!" Kol's fists clenched.

"People are more complex than what they appear to be. Even people like Kol. He may be a cold-blooded killer but he values Nature immensely. As servants of Nature, respect is the only thing we require."

"But he murders people! How disrespectful is that?!"

"Death is a natural part of Life, Jeremy. Predators and preys, the most basic form of natural order. A never-ending cycle. There's a balance for everything. For every bad, there is a good. And for every good, there is a bad. Nothing is never that simple."

Jeremy did not reply anything. Kol swallowed and passed the door.

"It's done," Hillary announced.

Kol smiled, "Let's see!" he walked to the boy and put his hands on his wrists. He undid the bonds once more and led him to the hall, "Try to leave."

Jeremy frowned, "What if I can?"

"I'll catch you before you can say Quidditch!" the vampire promised (or threatened).

Jeremy's eyes widened at the modern reference, "You know Harry Potter?"

"Hey! I'm awesome, remember?"

Jeremy and Hillary rolled their eyes. Kol ignored them, "Shall we?" he gestured to Jeremy. The boy nodded.

Kol let go of him and watched as Jeremy's hand settled on the handle of the front door. He held his breath – not that he doubted Hillary's allegiance, the witch knew better than to try and play off an Original. Jeremy's wrist twisted to turn the handle and the door opened. He heard the boy's breath catch in his throat as he set a foot on the door step. He launched forward, and stopped. He tried again but was each time denied to move.

Kol smirked. It had worked. Jeremy was officially stuck here. With him. He inwardly gloated, "Well," Kol began as Jeremy's face fell in disappointment, "Seems I won't need to catch you after all. That's too bad. I would have _loved_ to chase you, my Darling!" he grinned evilly as Jeremy glared at him.

Hillary's gaze switched between the both of them whose eyes were still locked onto one another. After a while, she cleared her throat. Kol turned his attention back on her.

"It looks like my job here is done," she said.

"Thank you for your help," Kol replied.

"No problem!" she put on her jacket, "So long Kol," she looked at the boy, "Jeremy."

The boy merely glared at her. With that, she left them alone.

Jeremy did not waste any time and barricaded himself in his room.

"You know," Kol said going after him, "If I freed you, it's not for you to stay locked up in this room!"

"What's for then?" Jeremy said looking out the window.

Kol smirked and got closer, "Oh, I don't know!" he started innocently in Jeremy's ear, "I can think of _something_ we could do now that you can move more... _freely..."_

The boy turned around abruptly and punched him in the face. Kol was so taken aback that he did not see the blow coming. He stumbled a bit and brought his hand to his aching nose, disbelieving, "What was that?" he squeaked.

Jeremy's eyes were as dark as night, "The only kind of physical contact you and I will ever have again!"

Kol rubbed his nose and smirked, "You like it rough, I see! That's fine by me!" his grin widened suggestively.

Jeremy sighed, exasperated, "No! Look, I don't know how to say that in a way you will _understand, _but what happened, only did because I didn't have a choice! You are a disgusting _vampire_, I'm a Hunter! The only desire you trigger in me is to drive a stake through your heart. Nothing else, Kol. Any attraction I might have had for you back in Denver was blown away the day I learned what you truly were. Now I just want you dead. Stick that into your thick head."

Kol looked at him intensely, anger boiling up, "The only thing I _understand_ is that you took off as much as I did! Go ahead! Deny it! Say you didn't enjoy it! I won't believe you."

"I didn't."

"Liar! I could feel your hard cock poking into me while I drank from you! I can still hear you _begging_ me to drink more! You liked it, Jeremy! I dare you to look me in the eyes and say otherwise!" Kol challenged him. Jeremy looked away. Kol smirked, "I know you're a Hunter. I know your instinct screams at you to attack me, just like mine screams at me to drain you dry. Yet, in that particular moment we were only two men craving the touch of the other."

"I didn't crave anything! You forced yourself onto me!" Jeremy accused.

Kol rolled his eyes, "Jeremy Gilbert, the eternal victim! Would you have preferred that I cut your arms instead?"

"No. That's why I let you have sex with me. You didn't leave me much of a choice, but this one was the less terrible, the less permanent. Or so I thought."

Kol gulped. Alright, that stung. Just a little bit, "I did leave you a choice!" Kol tried to defend himself pitifully.

"Yeah right!" Jeremy scoffed, "Being a living target practice or involved in a sexual intercourse I never consciously wanted with someone I hate. What a choice indeed!" Jeremy's eyes were shinning.

The Original gulped again.

"Put that in your head, Kol, _I do not want to be involved in anything with you. _If I asked you to keep on drinking it was because I hoped I'd die. I can't live with that shame. I feel like a slut."

"Because I'm a dude..." Kol whispered, head lowered.

"Because you're a dude. Because you're an assassin. Because you're insane. Because I hate you!" Jeremy was crying and spat the last two words.

Kol remained silent. There was nothing he could say. He looked up. Jeremy's attention was back on the window again.

"Just go away," the boy whispered weakly.

Kol lowered his head sadly and left.

_Tonight  
Unbearable insomnia  
Insanity is near  
I am what I flee_

Lolled in the couch, the vampire was downing a second bottle of Jack Daniels, Chloe asleep next to him. It was late in the night. Jeremy had not left his room. Not even to eat.

_I endure_  
_This cacophony_  
_Cutting into my head_  
_Tiring harmony_

The boy hated him. Any attraction he still felt went against his will and Jeremy resented it. A perfect mirror to Kol' softening side. They both loathed the reaction the other triggered in them. So unnatural.

_She says  
You will pay for your crimes  
No matter what  
We drag our chains  
Our pain_

He was a killer. _An assassin._ There was no point in denying it. A whole book would not be enough to contain all the terrible things Kol had done. Deep down, he could understand why the boy rejected him. What was there in him to love? He was irredeemable. More so, he would never change. He had no intention to become a Hero.

_I dedicate my nights  
To the Assasymphony  
To Requiems  
Killing out of spite  
Everything I bring  
I dedicate my nights  
To the Assasymphony  
To Blasphemy  
I admit I curse  
All those in love_

Kol had always despised feelings. Love made people weaker. Kol felt pretty weak at the moment.

_The enemy  
Lurking inside my mind  
Celebrates my failures  
Restlessly challenging me_

And yet, here he was. Moping over the rejection of a mere mortal! A Hunter! His natural enemy! There were so many things he could have done to him to make him pay for his never-ending challenges. But he had let every word, every gesture, every disdain go unpunished.

_I deny  
The fatal heresy  
Gnawing at my being  
I want to reborn  
Reborn_

He missed his old self. He missed his cruel, ruthless self. He just wished he could switch it off already. Apathy was better than the Hell he was now feeling. He wanted to go out and lose it on a killing spree. That would cheer him up. That would make him feel like himself again.

_I dedicate my nights  
To the Assasymphony  
To Requiems  
Killing out of spite  
Everything I bring  
I dedicate my nights  
To the Assasymphony  
To Blasphemy  
I admit I curse  
All those in love _

In spite of his drunken state, he heard the door cringe. A few seconds later, Jeremy emerged in the living room. Kol cast him a tired look. Jeremy gulped. He looked unsure of what to do. Both boys stared at each other in silence.

_The violins of my Life bemoan  
The violence of my desires  
Twisted Symphony_

Jeremy approached the couch slowly, as if afraid to get too close and startle the beast. He sat just as slowly, almost shyly.

_Disturbing concerto  
I play, not touching the C  
My talent rings hollow_

They remained like that for a moment. Kol proposed his bottle to the boy without looking at him. He took the bottle in equivalent muteness.

_I drawn my boredom  
In musicality  
I kill my phobias  
In disharmony_

"I hate you," Jeremy croaked after a while.

Kol took the bottle back, "Already said that..."

"I hate how you make me feel," he admitted in a weak, fatigued voice, "When you're not near me, I'm cold and I want you close. I want to see you, smell you, feel you. When you're near, I want to die. You make me retch."

Kol swallowed, his eyes stung, "Are you afraid of me?" he eventually asked.

"I'm terrified," Jeremy admitted lowly.

The vampire took a gulp of scotch, "Me too," he said in a whisper.

They kept passing the bottle back and forth between them without looking at each other, ever.

_I dedicate my nights  
To the Assasymphony  
To Requiems  
Killing out of spite  
Everything I bring  
I dedicate my nights  
To the Assasymphony  
To Blasphemy  
I admit I curse  
All those in love _

* * *

**I hope you liked it! ****The song I used in this chapter is a French song called 'L'assasymphonie' I only translated it. I couldn't stop listening to it while writing this chapter. The (French) lyrics + the music fit Kol and his relationship with Jeremy perfectly! Oh and of course there is a reference to Buffy in this chapter! I just couldn't resist!**


	16. XVI

**Hello there! I would like to thank you for all the positive feedback! I really appreciate it. Here comes the new chapter! I hope you will like it just as much!**

* * *

XVI.

Crockery clicked as Kol, Jeremy and Helen dined all together in silence. It was a bit surreal for the Original to share a casual dinner with two humans, a Hunter included. Jeremy was picking his food, uncomfortable.

"So, Jeremy, you're still in high school?" Helen began while putting her fork into her mouth.

The sudden disrupt of silence puzzled the young boy.

"Umh... Yeah... I'm only sixteen so..."

She raised an eyebrow, "Seriously? Wow! I didn't know you were so young! I mean, it's not a criticism or anything! It's just that I didn't expect you to be so young! Being a bulky Hunter and all!" she smiled a bit to lighten her rambling.

Kol forgot everything about his meat, too engrossed into glancing back and forth between the two of them. Was she _flirting_ with him?

"No offense taken! Don't worry," Jeremy replied without looking up from his plate, "You're right! I'm still a baby!" he joked awkwardly, "How old are you?"

"I'm twenty five," she replied, "But that doesn't mean I ain't still a baby. We all are!"

Kol scoffed, offended to have been tarred with the same brush, "Speak for yourself!" he countered haughtily.

Helen's eyes narrowed, "Oh I'm sorry, I had forgotten what an example of maturity you were!"

Kol chocked on his food. Had he heard well? Had she just _mocked_ him? What prevented him from killing the girl already? Jeremy chuckled softly. At least, she had been successful in lightening the mood.

Kol tapped his foot impatiently, "Are you two done?" he asked them after a while. They nodded, Jeremy more stiffly than she. He eyed them menacingly, "You do realize that I could chop your heads off with a spoon in a the blink of an eye, right? That wouldn't even take five per cent of my strength resources."

Jeremy gulped. Helen merely looked up.

"My apologies," she said, still emotionless, "I never meant to offend you."

"Well, you did," he replied harshly.

"I'm sorry."

"One insolent word more and I remove my compulsion! You will have to live with your fear and anxiety twenty four seven! And know that I have no patience for quivering humans. I'd get rid of you in the hour. Your choice!"

"Sorry, I shouldn't have reacted the way I have. You irritated me, that's all. You always do everything you can to make your lover uncomfortable. It's not cool for him!"

He was about to tell her to sod the fuck off when he caught _the _word. He froze. _Lover_. _Your lover_. _Him_. She had linked Jeremy to him in a much foreign and unfitting way. _Kol's lover._ That sounded odd. Misplaced. As if trying to walk a cat as one would a dog. Possible yet alien. Why would she even conclude such a thing as far as they were concerned? Did their alienated relationships induce her into thinking they were an item? Had they sent her any confusing vibes with their incessant quarrels?

"What?" he choked on his wine, "No it's not...! We're not..." he began to contradict her awkwardly, searching his words.

Jeremy was so red in the face he looked ready to burst. He too joined his voice to Kol's to defend their status, "Yeah, we're not like that..."

Their voices mingled and soon it became impossible to know who said what, "We're not lovers or anything..." "No, we're not..." "That's just... No!"

"Well, fucking buddies, whatever!" she cut them off.

Once again, they countered her profusely, "No, no! Nothing of the sort!" "No!"

Heavy silence settled. The two boys were looking at their plate, more uncomfortable than ever. Only Helen looked undisturbed. She was chewing her food slowly, slightly taken aback by their passionate outburst.

"But you two fuck, right?" she inquired after a while.

_Is she high or something? Have I compelled her so much, she's developing side effects?_

Kol was so shocked, he could not find anything suitable to say apart from a pathetic, "Once."

_Yes, once._

"Yeah..." Jeremy continued, "It was an accident."

_Ouch_.

_Do you want to be a softy, though?_ No, he clearly did not. Lovers were for pansies. Kol was an Original, he had no interest for triviality. Besides, lovers implied _relationships_. Something Kol tried to avoid at all cost.

"Yeah it didn't mean anything," he added up although his mind was screaming otherwise.

The girl looked at them alternatively, "Why are you in denial?"

Their voices mingled again, "We're not!"

She rolled her eyes, "Seriously guys! You keep looking at each other with Cannibal eyes whenever you think the other isn't looking! It's kinda understandable as far as Kol is concerned, but you Jeremy!"

"I'm not a cannibal!" Kol vividly countered, outraged, "I'm a vampire!"

Helen paid him no heed, "Besides you tend to forget that I was here that day. I heard pretty much everything! And you guys weren't faking it! Believe me!"

Jeremy cringed. Kol sighed.

"Could we speak about something else?" he interrupted her, weary.

"Yes, please!" Jeremy pleaded, still horribly flushed.

"Suit yourself! But denial won't do you no good!"

This was more than he could take. He had grown bored of her insolence. He stomped his fist on the table, breaching it in the process. Jeremy reacted accordingly and grabbed his knife just as fast to protect himself from the angered vampire.

"That's it!" Kol roared standing up to walk to the girl.

The Hunter caught him up, "Don't hurt her, Kol! She didn't do anything wrong!"

"Jerbear, be a dear and mind your own business!" Kol hissed, "I wouldn't want to have to hurt you too!"

Jeremy looked hesitant. He took a step forward.

"Don't!" the Original snapped harshly.

The kid's breath caught in his throat and he froze, trembling. Kol crossed the few inches which separated him from the girl. He knelt in front of her.

"I've intoxicated your mind with so many compulsions, I fear you might have lost contact with reality. But here is a capital fact you should remember in the future, Darling: I am not your friend. I am your Master. You owe me obedience and respect. Keep your candid ravings for the other commoners. I am not one of them. I am above everything and you ought to remember that if you want to see the sun rise for an extra few days." She blinked. He spoke again, "From now on, you will feel everything. All your emotions are back on. The positive ones as well as the negative ones. We'll see how many days in my presence you can take before losing it. Should be fun!" he smirked darkly.

"Kol!" Jeremy rebuked him.

"Shut up!" the vampire barked, red eyes flashing. He heard the boy gulp loudly, footsteps followed coupled with the violent slamming of a door. _Oops!_ Apparently, Jeremy was upset. Too bad he was too infuriated to give a damn! He would probably regret it later but for the moment, he needed to get his mind off that terrible conversation.

"I'm getting out for a little while. Try not to go break down. I'd like to keep you around a little longer if I can."

He slammed the door behind him, nearly taking it off its hinges.

He decided to drive for once. The speed he could use was moderate but calmed his raw nerves. He went for a thirty minutes drive, trying to keep focus on the road ahead of him and the street lamps which cast yellow shadows on the gray concrete. A minimum distraction to take his mind off Helen's insolence and inappropriate allusions.

Two hours later, he was as drunk as a man could get and watching some cheap blond girl dance on the stage of a filthy strip club. Why he had chosen such a place was beyond him! He did not even fancy women! Never had (for his father's greatest shame)! He could have gone to any busy pub or gay rendez-vous points, but no! For an unfathomable reason, he had pushed the doors of a regular strip club full of half-naked girls and flushed straight men bursting with testosterone, knowing quite well the kind of place it was as he did so (the flashy pink neon on the facade being a clue). Geez! The show made his homosexual mind cringe. It was disgusting. He did not belong there. And yet, here he was, watching lazily the pretty girl – he was not so stupid as to deny beauty when his eyes caught it, even if it did not sexually appeal to him – wiggling in front of him. Wiggling _for_ him.

What was he doing here already? Oh yes! He was trying to forget everything about Helen and his supposed lover. _Trying_ was the word.

Any distraction was welcome.

So when the girl came to him after the dance, he did not send her away as he would normally have. And for the first time in centuries, he found himself in bed with a female. If he wanted to forget all about Jeremy, sleeping with a woman was the best option, he decided.

She was everything a straight man would want and nothing a gay man would need. Her skin was too soft, she smelled too sweet. When she had comfortable curves, Kol yearned for sharp angular muscles. _Like Jeremy's_. Swollen hard muscles rolling under his grip. Fighting it. Resisting it. He tried to stop thinking again and focused on her. On the way she rocked above him just as he had rocked above Jeremy's body mere days ago, on the way she moaned for him just as Jeremy had moaned for him mere days ago, on the way her lips felt against his, wet and thin when Jeremy's had felt dry and full. He snapped and switched them over roughly. He closed his eyes and began to thrust harder into her making her yelp in sudden pain. He kept moving, harder, faster, willing his pleasure to peak and deliver him from the vanilla embrace and chestnut hair nightmare.

He morphed and bit her. At least her blood tasted decent. Yet it lacked the little something that spiked Jeremy's blood and made it so special, so pleasant on the tongue. Hunter's blood. _Jeremy's blood_.

He came with a muffled rattle against her wounded neck, full pink lips alluring him behind his closed hide-lids.

"_Jeremy..." _he whispered in a strangled cry.

It took him a short moment to recover. He looked down at the unconscious girl. As predicted, she was a broken mess, just like the other ninety-nine percent of Kol's bed conquests. Jeremy being the exception, not because he had managed to control his strength with the boy, but because he had not yielded to his complete desire. Kol sighed. Perhaps it was not such a bad thing that Jeremy refused to have sex with him again. He could not assure the boy' survival a second time.

What do to with her though? Put her out of her misery was the first option that came to mind. On second thought, it did sound boring. He had killed so many people lately, the action had somewhat lost of its appeal. Some variation was in order. He studied her more carefully. She was young, probably in her mid-twenties, pretty and wild albeit apparently quite poor – no wealthy girl would willingly work in a sordid club – and lost. Kol raised an eyebrow. She was rather worthy, he decided.

That was settled then. He would add a new puppy to his litter! He smiled and bit down his wrist to force dark blood down her throat.

"Come on Darling, be a good girl!" when he had made sure she had ingested enough blood, he grabbed her neck and snapped it.

He smiled again. It had been a long time since he turned people and this one looked promising – pretty little things always tended to prove themselves efficient killers once they were given power and immortality.

He dressed up quickly and left the room with a note on her nightstand, _"You've joined the happy-go-lucky fangy monsters club! Congratulations! PS: this is not Twilight, keep sunlight and pointy objects at a reasonable distance. Have a nice eternity!"_

Just before he got back to his car, he compelled one of the maids to wait in the room until the girl awoke and let her drink her fill. He would not have his new puppy die so shortly after being turned. That would be a waste of his precious blood.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

The apartment was silent. It was a bit before dawn. To be fair, he was anxious. He had left Jeremy in a frenzy of anger and the boy was probably quite mad at him still. Just what he needed to improve their already oh-so-wonderful relationships! _Smooth move, Kol!_ Chloe greeted him a happy yelp. He gently shushed her with a pet and made his way to the living room. He was surprised to see Jeremy awkwardly spread on the couch. The boy must have sensed his presence – or Chloe had awoken him – for he immediately sat up as soon as the vampire stepped a foot in the room.

"Where is Helen?" Kol asked, not bothering for Jeremy to be fully awake.

"In her bedroom..." he replied sleepily.

"Oh! You left her the bed, I see! How chivalrous of you!" he flung himself on the armchair opposite the boy who gave him a funny glance.

"I couldn't let her sleep next to you after how you treated her!" Jeremy accused.

"And here I thought you'd be waiting for me with pikes and torches! I'm disappointed!"

"Can still make it happen..." Jeremy threatened darkly.

Kol chuckled and settled more comfortably in the armchair, "It's too bad you ain't sleeping in the bed though! That would have spared me another uncomfortable night in that piece of junk..."

"How so?" Jeremy asked just as nicely.

"We're lovers, remember?!" Kol reminded him, falsely offended the boy had forgotten such an important fact, "We could have cuddled all night all comfy and lovey-dovey!"

Jeremy did not seem to partake in his humor, "In your dreams!" he hissed.

"Oh, if only you knew what we did in my dreams, Handsome!" Kol objected dreamily. Jeremy scoffed. Kol rolled his eyes. It was too easy to offend him, "Anyway... I could still join Helen but I'm afraid I might give the poor girl quite a fright after my little act of earlier..."

"You were being unnecessary cruel."

"I was being me, Jeremy! I am unnecessary cruel! So suck it up!"

Jeremy cast him a dark glare. Kol held his gaze. Finally, the boy tore his away and silence settled for a little while.

"You smell like strawberry..."Jeremy spoke up again.

Kol raised an eyebrow. "Is it supposed to be a compliment?"

Jeremy glared at him, "No! You smell weird! Like a girl!"

"Yep... Cheap prostitute fragrance! What a treat... I should've taken a shower..." he mumbled to himself.

Jeremy wrinkled his nose distastefully, "You doing whores now?"

"No need to be nasty about it! They're still women who deserve respect!" he lectured him with a raise of his index finger.

"Since when do you know anything about respect?!"

"Since I had Elijah as an appointed babysitter. I just choose not to care! His conferences about nobility can be quite tiring! You'd get bored after a few centuries, trust me..."

"I thought you didn't like women..." the boy suddenly said.

"I don't"

"Then what were you doing with her?! I suppose it doesn't take five hours to drain someone. Unless you drained the whole pub! Which wouldn't be surprising from you!"

Kol ignored his last remark, "Why do you want to know? Is my Jerbear jealous?" he mocked with a pout.

"Stop with that stupid nickname!" the boy snapped angrily.

"Why?! Don't you want to be my little Jerbear? And I'll be your little Koldron!" he batted his eyelashes.

The boy scoffed, "Why am I even talking to you?!"

"Because you love it, of course!" he smiled seductively which only earned him an aggravated sigh, "Come on, Jeremy! You were not even sleeping! Mortal little hunters are supposed to be sound asleep at such a late hour! You were waiting for me! Just admit it already! You couldn't bring yourself to sleep until I returned. You even counted the hours I was gone! It's cute!" he squeaked in a very irritating high-pitched voice.

Jeremy blinked, "How can you be so annoying?!"

"Years of practice!"

"Whatever!" Jeremy grumbled as he settled himself back on the couch, ready to get back to sleep.

"Don't I get a goodnight kiss?" Kol asked in a girlie voice, puking his lips.

"Go to Hell!"

Kol shrugged, "It's almost dawn anyway..."

Somehow, he had fallen asleep in his armchair. His deep dreamless slumber was disturbed by a sudden pressure on his chest. Very lightly, at first, as if someone pressing their hand against him, then more and more insistent, and soon enough the pressure was so heavy Kol felt like he was literally being smothered in his sleep. He tried to wake up but found that he could not. He was imprisoned in his own body, unable to move and open his eyes, completely vulnerable and inwardly suffocating in fear. It was an excruciatingly odd experience for someone usually as invincible as he.

"_Kol..."_ an inhuman voice rang in his ears.

A blurry image abruptly invaded his agonizing mind. He could vaguely distinguish the figure of a brown-haired man. Then a sort of a sarcophagus in which the man rested, dead or asleep, he would not know. A woman with flaming red hair and dark haunting eyes.

"_We need your help..."_ said the voice again. _"Kol..."_

He knew that woman. He had already seen her somewhere. Where could that be?

The pressure reached an intolerable heaviness and Kol wanted to scream and call for help. Yet he was still imprisoned in his own body. It was as if his mind was awake but his body still paralyzed with sleep.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of internal struggling, he managed to get the control of his body back and open his eyes. There was nothing in the room apart from a sleeping Jeremy on the couch, his back facing him. It was morning. Faint sunlight had infiltrated the curtained widows. The room was plunged in deep silence. Kol became suddenly aware of his own ragged breath. Intense fear still cursed through his veins. His blood boiled. Sweat had gathered on his forehead. The last time he had been engulfed with such burning fear was so ancient it probably went back to the time he was still a human.

_What the Hell?!_

He put his hand to his face. His eyes widened in astonishment when his fingers met a wet furrow on his cheek. _He had cried._ The fear had been so intense it had brought tears to his usually dry eyes.

_What the Hell?!_

"Are you always so loud when you sleep, or are you just trying to turn me into a zombie?"

Kol snapped from his trance and looked up. Jeremy was eying him furiously. Obviously he had disturbed the boy' sleep a second time. Yet he was too startled to bring himself to care – not that he would have otherwise.

Jeremy's angry eyes softened when he caught the genuine terror on the usually mocking Original's face.

"Kol?" he asked with a frown, "Are you alright?"

Kol stared at Jeremy, "I don't know," he replied honestly.

He felt lost and confused. More so, he was still haunted by the fear and could still feel the unbearable pressure on his chest. He had truly felt like he was drowning. What a terrible sensation!

A light touch on his cheek made him jump again. He looked up. Jeremy had knelt in front of him, evident concern in his eyes, and put his hand on the vampire's cheek. A strange gesture as far as Kol was concerned. Had the circumstances been any different, he would have pushed the intrusive hand away and told the boy to fuck off. Yet, given his current predicament, he found that he could not bring himself to refuse some comfort. Especially when it came from the Hunter. Therefore he did something he usually never did.

He yielded to his emotions and leaned into the gentle touch. He realized he was shaking.

_What the Hell?!_

"What's wrong? What happened?" Jeremy's voice was strangely soft, his hand tracing gentle soothing patterns on Kol' sweaty brow. Was not the boy supposed to hate him? _What could startle an Original so?_ Jeremy's eyes silently screamed.

"I think I saw him..." Kol began in a small voice.

Jeremy frowned, "Who?"

"Silas," he locked his haunted gaze onto the Hunter's and spoke more firmly, "I think he tried to kill me."

* * *

**So the plot thickens a bit. What do you think? See you soon guys!**


	17. XVII

**Hello guys! I know, this chapter took some time to come but I had trouble writing. I hope you will like it. And I want to thank all my readers and reviewers! I can't beleive I've almost reached the hundred! Thank you so guys!**

**WARNING: there is some graphic and gore content in this chapter.**

**The song used at the end of the chapter is credited to Within Temptation, The Truth Beneath The Rose.**

* * *

XVII.

"Would you please calm down, you're giving me a headache!" Jeremy complained after having watched Kol pacing in the room for twenty minutes.

Kol turned around abruptly, "Don't you dare tell me to calm down! You haven't experienced what I just have!"

"Silas playing tricks with your mind?"

"Precisely."

Silence settled again and Kol went back to pacing. He was frantic. What was he supposed to do? For the first time in a thousand years he was faced with someone stronger than him. The idea was terrifying.

"Once again, how do you know it was him?" Jeremy inquired after a while.

Kol grew impatient, "Because I _do_."

"That's not an answer!"

"It is!"

"Not a valid one!" Jeremy vividly countered, "I mean, everything happened in your _sleep_, right? Then how can you be sure it wasn't a bad dream or something?"

"Because I'm an Original!"

"So?"

"I can't have _bad dreams_!" he scoffed disdainfully.

Jeremy cocked an eyebrow, "Well, yes you can!"

Kol's mouth gaped open, "_Excuse-me?"_

"You may be on a blood diet, your brain functions are still active, aren't they?"

Kol thought about it, "I guess so..." he replied, hesitant.

"And you can still sleep?"

"Yeah..." Kol did not like the direction the conversation was taking. Not one bit.

"So you can dream!" Jeremy announced cheerfully, "And If one has the ability to _dream,_ they also have the ability to produce _bad_ dreams! So technically, you're quite capable of having a nightmare. And that's probably what you've just experienced!"

Kol was still staring at the pondering boy with bulging eyes, "My! They got to have spiced their Hunter spell with _something_ to have the brains develop as much as the muscles!" he thought out loud, much to the human's dismay who looked positively offended. Kol composed himself swiftly, "But no, it wasn't a nightmare! Sorry to contradict your wit! What I felt and saw was undoubtedly real! Besides, I've never had a nightmare in my entire vampire life! Not gonna start now!"

Jeremy looked at him doubtfully, "Kol, even animals have nightmares. And you sure are a mix of some."

"It was not a nightmare!" the vampire suddenly hissed, eyes dangerously narrowed.

The boy raised his arms in surrender, "Alright! Alright! It wasn't! Calm down."

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! I'm not a child!"

Once again, Jeremy replied with a perplex raise of eyebrows, "Whatever," he continued after a while, "But what happened exactly? What scared you so much?"

"I saw him."

"Yeah, already said that."

Kol cast him a dirty glare.

"What else, Kol?"

"He tried to smother me in my sleep. I couldn't breath or move or wake up. It was terrifying."

"Just like a nightmare," Jeremy concluded again.

"It was NOT a nightmare! It felt real, I said."

"So does a nightmare!"

Kol's eyes burned a hole in Jeremy' soul which made the boy gulp. The vampire felt dizzy. He was lost and confused. Why would Silas attack him? Who was that woman? Why did she look familiar? Why did they ask for his help, if it was to threaten him simultaneously? It did not make any sense. He ran a hand through his hair. He needed help. He needed answers to his questions. And Jeremy was obviously as clueless as he was. Even more so.

He needed a witch. Of course! She would know what to do! She would be able to tell him everything! Why had he not thought about it sooner? It should have been his first reflex!

He took his phone and began to dial Hillary's number.

"What are you doing?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm calling Hillary!"

"To tell her what? That you think you saw something in your _sleep_?!"

Kol's face flushed with anger but he said nothing.

The phone rang three times before a sleepy voice picked up, "Kol? Seriously? Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

"Actually I do! And I don't care! I need to talk to you as soon as possible. It is of extreme importance!"

"What? We're talking now!"

"I want to see you! This is not a conversation I want to have on the _phone_!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!"

"Get your ass up here and be quick! And I shall tell you everything, then!"

"Kol, in case you've forgotten, witches still haven't grown personal teleportation pads over the years! And I ain't gonna take the plane on a Sunday morning to talk to you! Stop dreaming!"

Kol's panic blast back in, "But it's extremely important! It's a life and death situation!" he began to whine. Beside him, Jeremy rolled his eyes.

Hillary – who knew the animal – abdicated, "Alright! Alright! What about a video log?!"

Kol's face blanked, "A what?!"

"A video conference! Your boyfriend probably knows all about it!"

Both boys faces flushed immediately, "No! He's not!" "No, we're not!" they began, embarrassed. What was with everyone believing they actually were in a relationship?! It was insane! Jeremy was Kol's prisoner! Sure they had shared a very pleasant and very intimate moment but it did not mean anything! _No, it didn't!_

She ignored them, "Get on Skype in ten minutes! My pseudo is Hill2005. See you there!" She hung up.

Kol – more confused than ever – turned to a very stunned Jeremy, "If you tell me you don't know what that Sky thing is either, I will kill you."

Thirty minutes later, they found themselves hooked on Helen's laptop, using a brand new account Jeremy had opened for Kol – the choice of the pseudo being a source of conflict as Jeremy tried desperately to explain to the vampire that _HotMurderer_ was not an acceptable choice, unless he wanted to get on the FBI list for potential terrorists, something Kol apparently failed to understand.

Consequently, another ten minutes later, they logged on Skype and _BeautifulVamp_ (the only softer version Jeremy had managed to have the vampire agree to) engaged the conversation with _Hill2005_.

The witches annoyed face appeared on the screen, "Alright! Speak! And be quick, I don't have all day!"

Kol scoffed at her rudeness, "I think Silas attacked me in my sleep!"

She frowned, "What? You mean _The_ Silas?!"

"Precisely!"

She raised her hands in confusion, "Alright! I'm lost! Tell me everything from the beginning!"

And Kol did. He told her everything from the moment he had fallen asleep to the terrible sensation of drowning, the paralysis, the voice and the images. When he was done, Hillary was staring in front of her, thoughtful.

"So? What do you think?" Kol inquired impatiently.

"I don't know... You sure it wasn't a nightmare?!" she asked after a while.

If eyes could kill, Kol would have carbonized her through the screen. Next to him, Jeremy muffled a chuckle with the back of his hand. Kol glared at him.

"Quite certain, yes."

"Mmh... Well I need to do some research about Silas and that woman, and why they'd need your help. But as of yet, the only thing I can tell you is that what you felt, that drowning sensation, is quite likely to have been a ghost attack."

"A ghost attack?!"

"Yes, an ectoplasm trying to possess your body. It can be quite terrifying."

Jeremy gulped and made a sound of disgust. Kol scoffed too. How rude! Why would a ghost be so foolish as to try and possess an already dead person? It did not make any sense!

"But I'm already dead! It doesn't make any sense! Why would one want to possess me?!"

"Well, technically you're more alive than they will ever be but yeah, I'll give you that. Look, I'll do some research on my own. If it happens again, call me immediately. I gotta go!"

As the screen went blank again, Kol pondered their conversation. Someone had tried to incorporate his body. The thought was terrifying. He shuddered.

He remained in a state of mortification all day, dreading the moment when he would have to go to bed. Nothing appealed to him. _Someone had tried to incorporate his body._ He felt so very vulnerable. Helpless. Weak. For the first time in a thousand years, he was faced with a situation he could not handle.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Jeremy on the doorway.

"Aren't you gonna move?" the boy asked.

Kol remained silent. He felt so alone. No one could help him – given that he actually needed help for once.

"Where is Helen?" he suddenly asked as Jeremy made a move to go back from where he came from.

"Still in her bedroom. I was gonna bring her something to eat actually. And a bucket."

"Won't she come out?" he inquired, absently looking in the distance in front of him.

"I don't think so."

"She's afraid of me," he realized.

"You can't blame her for that. You did remove your compulsion that contained her emotions in. Now, they're sort of lashing out."

Kol pouted. He would not have minded the presence of a friend. _She's not a friend. She's your human pet_. Even if Jeremy was there. _He's not your friend. He's your prisoner. _

The vampire sighed. As if on cue, he felt a little bump on the couch next to him. He turned his head to see Chloe staring at him. She probably sensed her friend's turmoil for she proceeded to brush her tiny nose against his thigh. Kol smiled. He did have a friend. She settled against him and looked up with her big yellow comforting eyes. His smile grew and he petted her.

"I can't believe you, of all people, are an animal lover!" he heard Jeremy say.

"Animals are deprived of perversity. They remain pure, untainted by unsteady consciences. I praise them for that. There is much to be learned from the beasts people so wrongfully disdain."

"I never thought I'd live old enough to hear you say such things!"

Kol frowned, "Why not?"

"Don't know... To hear you talk about purity and see you treat a tiny living creature so preciously... That's unreal. It's just so... unlike you."

Kol frowned, "Well, know that I'm not just a bloodthirsty ripper. Contrary to popular belief I'm not a one dimensional character."

"What do you mean?"

Kol's hand rested on the dog' sleepy head as he turned to face Jeremy, "I mean that maybe you don't know me as well as you think! Has it never occurred to you that you had no idea of who I really was?"

Jeremy frowned, "It has actually. Everyday after I saw you beat up my friend with a big goofy smile."

Kol sighed, annoyed that the conversation would take that particular direction, "I wasn't talking about _that_ reality."

"What were you talking about, then?"

"The real me. Kol. You know, the guy you used to laugh with just before you decided to snob him."

"The guy I used to laugh with doesn't exist. He never did. We both know that. You made him up to lure me because you knew I couldn't befriend a psychopathic killer."

_Jeremy 1 – Kol 0._

"That's not true!" Kol weakly denied.

Jeremy walked to the couch and sat, "Is it not, really?"

"I poured some of myself in that character."

Silence settled for a while.

"Maybe you did," the boy whispered softly.

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

The best course of action to take in order to avoid another ghost attack, Kol decided, was to avoid sleep altogether. He was an Original. He did not require that much sleep! He did not know how long it would take, but until Hillary came up with a solid explanation, he would stay awake.

In order to stay do so, he needed to keep himself busy. While roaming through his things, he came across a list of torture ideas. It could do the trick. The only thing he had to do was to find a suitable human and then the experiments could begin. Torture had always stimulated him effectively – much more than caffeine ever had.

Useless to say Jeremy did not approve of his decision – for Kol had not been exactly discreet about it. Kol royally ignored his dirty glare when he announced he would be out for the night. As long as the boy did not try to moralize him, he was good.

He hunted down the streets in search for the perfect test subject. He had learned in some books that the human mind had the power to heal the body. Now to see how true those speculations actually were.

He found a man in his mid-thirties who fitted the profile. After a rather unfair fight – for the man anyway – Kol managed to easily catch him and compel him to stay put.

"Alright, here is the thing. I'm going to blind you but you still are going to be able to see."

He then proceeded to meticulously do his worst – ignoring the yelp of sheer agony as his thumbs pierced through the fragile eyeballs and warm blood ran down his wrists. He just hoped the screams would not alert anyone – not that he was afraid, but he had rather dealt with humans separately tonight. He then waited apprehensively for his compulsion to take effect.

It did not work. Although compelled to keep his ability to see, the man clearly was unable to; his mind seemed to believe it still could perceive the world yet his regulars bumps in the surrounding walls attested for his new disability.

Disappointed, Kol pouted and broke the man's neck to end his pathetic gropings. The first experiment was a failure.

As was the second one.

Then the third one.

And so were the fourth and fifth ones.

The book was false. Once deprived of the physical component, the senses were nullified. No matter how strong the compulsion was.

As he was about to blind his sixth victim, he heard his name. He looked down to the trembling girl.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!"

"You said my name!"

"No, I didn't."

He frowned and puckered his lips in annoyance. Then he heard it again.

"_Kol..."_

It was the same voice as the one he had heard in his sleep. He immediately backed off the girl, suddenly terrified. No, it was impossible. He was not asleep! How could this ghost affect him while awake?!

"_Kol, help us!"_

His eyes were wide with terror, his breath shaggy, "Tell me you can hear that!" he pleaded to the oblivious girl.

"Hear what?!"

"_Kol..."_

"That voice! That horrible metallic voice!" he was going to hyperventilate.

She shook her head negatively, "I don't hear anything, Sir."

"_Kol... Come to us! We need you!"_

He put his hands over his ears to cover the voice, to no avail. It still rang distinctly in his head like a terrible litany, calling him over and over again.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he yelled at the top of his lungs before he zoomed away from the haunted street and the girl.

He ran as fast his speed allowed him, never stopping, until he reached the flat and barricaded himself in the bathroom, drafting past a very stunned Jeremy.

Crouched on the linoleum floor, his hands around his knees, he swayed, absolutely terrified. He could hear the anarchistic beating of his own panic-stricken heart. Pure fear cursed down his veins.

It did not make any sense.

How could have that ghost – or whatever it was – reached him awake? He had avoided sleep for a very special reason! This was Karma, he decided. There was a Holly Justice after all and he was being punished for all the horrible things he had done. There was no other explanation. Whatever that thing was, it was haunting him down to send him into the deepest pit of Hell.

He kept swaying, his hands tightening their grip around his knees. He expected to hear that voice anytime again, to see the woman's face appear in the mirror of the dark and damp bathroom.

A touch on his knee startled him violently and he gasped, the rhythm of his heart dramatically increasing.

"Hey, hey, hey! It's okay! It's me!" Jeremy tried to calm him, "What happened?"

"The... voice... It was... back... In the... Street," he stuttered, he who never did.

"You heard the voice again?"

Kol nodded before he started convulsing again.

Jeremy put his hands around his trembling arms, "Hey, hey, hey! It's okay! Calm down! It's over now!"

"They want me..." he whispered, on the verge of tears, "They want me." His lachrymal system reached their maximal stinging point and fresh tears broke down his cheeks.

Jeremy looked lost. How did one console a crying Original? "Hey! It's gonna be alright! I'm sure Hillary will find something! Come, you shouldn't stay here."

Kol sniffled pitifully but stood up along with the boy who led him back to the living room. They settled on the couch and Jeremy handed him a tissue. Kol took it and blew his nose rather loudly. In any other conditions, the situation might have been highly comical. _In any other conditions._

Jeremy awkwardly petted his knee. He looked uncomfortable and confused, "Alright, I'm gonna get something to eat. You stay here and try to get some rest. You're safe here." It was obvious he had no idea what to say and wanted to get away as quick as possible. Kol could not blame him. How did one console a frantic Original? Was it even something one had ever seen? _With Niklaus probably; his strong tendency to cry being rather legendary, almost as was his strong tendency to behead someone on impulse._

The boy made a move to get up but Kol grabbed his arm forcefully, making the boy wince, "No! Don't leave me!" he pleaded with big terrified eyes. "Please, don't leave me alone! It could come back!" He knew he sounded absolutely pathetic but he would chastise himself later.

Jeremy looked ready to deny his request so Kol pleaded again, "Please!" still glued to Jeremy's arm.

The boy gulped, thought about it for a couple of seconds, then nodded, "Alright," he sat back again and Kol glued the rest of his body to his, still trembling, completely oblivious of his own behavior.

Several minutes passed during which Kol did nothing but convulse against Jeremy' solid form. The fear was still very vivid and so was the voice. There was nothing he could do to defend himself. His powers were useless. What use could he make of super strength and speed when he was supposed to deal with something immaterial? _So weak, so vulnerable, so pathetic._

Jeremy cupped his cheek and ran a gentle thumb along his cheek, "Hey, it's okay! I'm here!"

Kol looked up and nodded, snuggling more into the warm embrace. To have a sixteen year-old human boy say "I'm here" as one would a small frightened child to a vampire who had just blinded and killed five persons just for sport was laughable. Yet oddly comforting.

It had been a long time since Kol had had any comfort – or needed some – and it felt soothing, warm. He focused on the gentle purring of Jeremy's heart and blood running down his veins. He was engulfed in the boy' scent and soon calm spread over him like a wave.

He looked up. Jeremy looked down. They stared into each other's eyes and Time seemed to have stopped.

Then Kol thought again of all the things he had done tonight, about the voice and Karma.

_Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul  
No longer I can justify the bloodshed in his name  
Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?  
Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door _

At the exact moment, words formed in Kol's mind. Words he usually despised. Words he had never thought he would feel the need to say one day.

_I love you_.

It was clear in his heart now. _He loved him_. And he wanted to say it. He wanted to utter those three words.

Yet he knew he could not. The boy would most likely reject him.

_Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast  
It is the darker side of me  
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen  
Forgive me for what I have beeng  
Forgive me my sins _

The Hunter would never love him. If Jeremy had seen the casualness with which he had pushed his thumbs into those human's eyes, he would not be offering comfort now. The thought made him shudder. They were incompatible.

_Pray for me 'cause I have lost my faith in holy wars  
Is paradise denied to me cause I can take no more?  
Has darkness taken over me, consumed my mortal soul?  
All my virtues sacrificed, can Heaven be so cruel? _

They kept staring at each other until both pair of eyes fell onto the other's lips. They were so close. One glance sufficed to reassure them both in their desire and their lips met again. Cautiously. Hesitantly. Comfortingly.

_I believed it would justify the means  
It had a hold over me _

Their kiss grew more urgent, more passionate. Soon Kol pushed Jeremy on his back on the couch and straddled him. He could feel the boy's evident desire against his own.

_Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast  
It is the darker side of me  
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen  
Forgive me for what I have been  
Forgive me my sins _

They ended the kiss and Kol rested his forehead against the boy's, both trying to catch their breath. They smiled at each other and kissed again. Soon their hands found their way under their clothes, ripping through any material they encountered, and they both touched soft skin.

Kol knew he had to stop. He was upset and not in full control of his strength. He could hurt the boy so easily. He had managed to control himself the first time, it was nothing short of a miracle. Nothing said he could do as much a second one.

Jeremy guided Kol's head to his neck, silently indicating the vampire could bite. Kol looked up in haste, unwilling to hurt him, but the message in Jeremy's eyes was clear. He could do it. _The boy wanted him to_.

Kol gulped but bent down again to taste the salty skin before sinking his teeth in gently. He was not taking blood, Jeremy was _allowing_ him to have some, _offering, giving_. Kol's heart swelled with Bliss and gratitude. He fed slowly as Jeremy ran his hands on his bare back, bumping under him in evident pleasure, purring against his ear.

The sensation was exhilarating.

_I'm hoping, I'm praying  
I won't get lost between two worlds  
For all I have seen the truth lies in between  
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done  
Now that I know the darkest side of me _

They had ridden themselves of shirts and pants along in the way and their two naked bodies were now pressed into one another. Kol rested his forehead against Jeremy's, eyes closed. He wanted him. He wanted him so badly. Yet it was highly unlikely the boy would allow himself to be taken by the vampire. _Male vampire, at that. _Besides, Kol was not so certain about his restrain capabilities. If he took him, he would crush him, or break through him. The feeling would be too overwhelming.

So, when he felt the boy under him open his legs timidly, he froze and stared down at him, wide-eyed. Jeremy swallowed and looked apprehensive albeit determined. He smiled sheepishly to the Original and squeezed his arms to comfort him in his decision.

Kol was still very much stunned as he realized that after offering him his blood, the boy was now giving himself entirely to him.

Could it be real? Was it a trap from the voice's owner? Was the boy high or something to let him be so close?

But more importantly, was he going to be able to control himself and be worthy of the boy's unexpected trust?

Jeremy, who had sensed the vampire's inner struggle, cupped his face and kissed him gently, probing him to proceed.

What was Kol supposed to do now? How could he tell him that it would hurt and that there was nothing he could do about it? How could he be sure that the boy would enjoy it?

Jeremy gave a small push on his lower back to bid him to continue. Kol stared into those trusting eyes and swallowed.

And now what? Should he prepare him or just go and do it? Could he excuse himself to go fetch some lube which he did not have – or ask Helen for some and thus humiliate the boy for the rest of all Eternity? Would Jeremy not find that rude if he were to leave abruptly after he had just been offered something so precious?

The situation was awkward. Very much so. There was so much to say. Reassuring words to utter, advice to give. Yet, Kol knew that words would disturb the somehow sacred silence and ruin it all. They could not speak. It would make everything all too real.

Eventually, Kol put his questioning aside and spat on his hands to lubricate himself. It was crude, hasty, disrespectful. It was not healthy, romantic nor anything near the requirement for a first time. Yet again, Kol had lost his virginity in the woods, spread in dirt full of bugs. But it had been the tenth century and things were different back then. Physical intimacy did not care much for hygiene - especially when you were hiding from your father in the process.

Eyes locked with the human's, Kol guided himself to him. He realized he was trembling.

As he pushed slowly inside, he felt the boy stiffen and gasp when the ring of muscles tore apart from his forced intrusion. The boy yelped in pain and Kol saw tears gathering in his eyes as he gripped the vampire' shoulders. What kind of an idiot was he to disregard the importance of lube and preparation? And he was supposed to have a thousand years of experience in his pocket! He wanted to apologize but words caught in his throat. So he did the only thing he could to soothe the boy and make him relax. He grabbed his softening member and began to stroke him gently, kissing his mouth with butterfly kisses to distract him from the pain.

He settled a slow, gentle rhythm. To be inside Jeremy felt Heavenly good. Why had he wanted to torture all those people to keep himself awake again? Jeremy's body was a much nicer distraction. Yet, he failed to understand what he had done to persuade the boy to share this with him. Jeremy had seen him in a moment of emotional weakness, perhaps that had helped to have the boy open to him - metaphorically.

_How can blood be our salvation  
And justify the pain that we have caused throughout the times  
Will I learn what's truly sacred?  
Will I redeem my soul, will truth set me free? _

He kept his face a few inches away from the boy's as he rocked above him, still stroking him with the same pace as his thrusts deep inside of him. Only one anxiety remained: was the human enjoying it? His face was contorted in what resembled pain and Kol did not know what to think of it. He wanted to tell him that the discomfort he was currently experiencing would fade away, that he needed to give time to his body to adjust to the foreign intrusion and that he would give him blood to heal the damages and screw the consequences of being a Hunter. But he could not speak. Words would make it all too real.

_Jeremy. Jeremy. Jeremy_. His mind repeated his name over and over again, like a sweet litany.

The pleasure cursing through his veins threatened to make him lose control which he could not. Ever. Therefore, for Jeremy' sake, he decided to ignore his pleasure and need for release and focused solely on the boy. On the way his hips bumped to meet his, on the way his eyes fluttered, on the way his breath regularly caught in his throat.

He had never seen anything so beautiful before as the Original kept making love to his Hunter.

_Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast  
It is the darker side of me  
The veil of my dreams deceived all I have seen  
Forgive me for what I have been  
Forgive me my sins _

Jeremy searched for his lips and they kissed just as the boy's muscles clenched around him and he came in Kol's hand. The vampire gritted his teeth, ignoring the burning desire to just lose it and fuck him – and crush him or/and break through him, undoubtedly as it had happened countless of times before.

He smiled sweetly and caressed the boy's cheek as the latter was trying to get his breath back to normal.

They kept looking at each other for a while, still in complete silence, dazed from what they had just shared. Jeremy frowned when he came to realize that the vampire had not come. He sent him a questioning look to which Kol only replied by biting his lip. To try and convey an emotion as complex as "I did not want to damage you" was not an easy task - especially when he had damaged him a little already. However, judging by the apologetic look Jeremy gave him, the vampire guessed that his message had been received.

They snuggled against each other, still in silence. None dared to move, afraid to ruin the moment. They were scooped up in a bubble and Kol was not sure if he ever wanted it to burst.

_Et est signum  
Dies datus  
Et tenebris  
Mea culpa acta est fabula pereo _

_(This is the sign given to the darkness.  
It's my fault - the act is dutifully over)_


	18. XVIII

**Hello there! Another rather short chapter just for you guys! I adore your feedback! I hope you will like this chapter as much the other ones! Oh by the way I am going to edit the 17th chapter, I reread it and spotted several mistakes I had not seen! My bad!**

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XVIII.

Kol did not get much sleep that night. Jeremy was sleeping on the vampire's chest, his nose buried in the crook of his neck. Ironically enough, Kol wished Jeremy could bite... He would not have minded feeding him... He tried to compose himself and willed his erection away. They remained mute – at least, as far as Kol was concerned – and glued to each other, perfectly immobile. Kol knew that when they would have to move, it would be awkwardness at its best.

Nevertheless, while engulfed in Jeremy's warmth and scent, he could keep his cool and think more effectively. He could not get his mind off the man's and woman's faces, no matter how hard he tried. The man, he did not know but the woman looked much familiar. He had seen her before, met her. But where? When?

Dawn peered in gradually, casting a bright light onto them. He could feel Jeremy's fingers taping away on his chest lightly. It made his heart rate speed up. The boy felt so warm above him, his regular breath dampening his neck. It was the first time he had awoken with a lover. It was strange, yet comforting. He was not alone. Yet again, it was the first time he had truly understood the meaning of "making love". It sounded extremely cheesy but he did not care. Making love to Jeremy had been the best sensation he had ever felt. And he craved to experience it again - even if it meant frustrating himself again not to hurt the kid too fatally. He nuzzled the boy's head fondly.

If the human had only been dozing before, it was clear he was now perfectly awake.

Kol gulped. How was he supposed to act? He still had trouble understanding why the boy had been so willing to give himself when he just expressed his hatred and disgust but a few days ago. It did not make any sense. Should he ask? Could he, even? Would it only happen again? He had so many questions and so little certainty to ever be answered.

Jeremy stirred against him and raised his head. When their eyes met, he averted his gaze and bowed, shy and perhaps ashamed. The thought filled Kol with anxiety. He probably regretted it, felt dirty and was disgusted with himself as he had been the first time they shared an intimate moment - and anytime they had, as he so blatantly voiced it.

Thus, Kol expected the human to abruptly get up and take his leave without sparing him a glance but he felt him curl up on his chest instead and snuggle before he began to shake.

Kol frowned, had he hurt him that much? He checked the trembling form against him. Jeremy refused to meet his gaze and kept his head stubbornly lowered under his chin. The vampire frowned. He had no idea what was going on in the boy's head. From what he had gathered in his years of victimizing humans, trembling could mean three things: pain, fear and cold. Which one was it? He passed what he hoped to be a soothing hand on his back awkwardly. What was he supposed to say? Was he only supposed to speak at all?

He gulped and licked his lips to moist them a little, "I can give you some of my blood if you want" his voice croaked, "to heal the... you know... when I... you know... I kinda..." he stopped. How could he say "_When I kinda ripped your ass open_" without sounding perfectly crude and tasteless?

He felt Jeremy petrify against him and swallow hard. Brilliant! He had managed to freak the kid with only two baby sentences hardly five minutes after he awoken. He was a damn Genius!

He gulped again, "What I mean is that my blood can heal your... uhm... heal _you_." Yes, that was it! "My blood can heal you," he sighed, satisfied to have been able to form a coherent and subtle sentence (for once).

Yet, the deed was already done for Jeremy curled up even more, in a likely attempt at getting his mind away from where he was – and with whom. Kol chastised himself. What a clumsy idiot he was! What a whack!

"Jeremy?" he tried in a small, nervous voice.

"Don't, please," was the only muffled reply he got.

He frowned, "Don't what? Give you my blood?"

"Don't speak. Please. Don't say anything. I can't..."

_Regret it was, then_, "Oh. Alright. I guess I can do that."

Humans were depressing.

"Thank you..."

Exceptionally so.

Several minutes passed during which none of them moved nor spoke at all. Jeremy was still trembling and snuggling and Kol still had his arms wrapped around him. The silence was heavy and worsened the situation. Kol could take it no more.

So he talked again (this really was a bad habit he should abandon the soonest), "Perhaps you should go to the toilet. You know, it's rather recommended to go after one had been... You know..." he rambled again. He could have said _"after one had been buggered,"_ but he was not so sure Jeremy would appreciate his blatancy – few people actually did, Kol did not know why.

This time Jeremy met his gaze and sent him a murderous glare. Alright, maybe he should have kept his clever mouth shut. His doubt increased when he felt the boy get up – and wince loudly – then heard loud steps and the slamming of a door in the distance.

Alright. He had ruined everything. To change. He sighed in his joined hands. What an idiot! Why had he felt the need to say such things? He knew how touchy humans could be when their pride was tarnished! Male humans especially.

It was fortunate he had not been too sharp in his wording actually!

"Is there anything you can do right?" said a female voice behind him.

He looked up. Helen was on the doorway, a tray in her hands. _She is talking to me? That's new!_ Oh well, he was not going to mind having his pet back.

"Crepes. Apparently."

She settled on the sofa next to him, not minding his nudity in the least, and attacked her breakfast.

He raised an eyebrow, "You like me again?" he inquired, amused by her carelessness.

"I'm on Valium," she justified.

His frown deepened, "You mean you're high?"

She shrugged, "I need to tolerate you somehow!"

"I never meant to turn you into a drug addict!" he noted with a smile.

She shrugged again while biting in her toast. He rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Don't!" she said abruptly.

He stopped in his track and turned to her questioningly.

"You were going to see him," she distractingly explained, "Don't! Let him be. He needs time."

Her ability at reading him would never fail to amaze him. He pouted and sat back. Yet, he frowned at her implication, "But you know that we...?"

"Went at it like bunnies last night?" she finished for him, "Well, you're naked, for starters, and the room stinks of sex... Not to forget that I'm not deaf... Far from so..." She checked the couch,"You could have put a comforter or something though!" she admonished him, "Now I'll have to get it washed!"

"Well I'm sorry your Highness, I couldn't guess he'd let me bone him, could I!"

She shrugged, "You're the Original!" she paused for a short while, "Besides, keep speaking about him like that and you'll never have the occasion to do it again!"

She did have a point. Not that he would have told her of course.

After a moment of silence, she suddenly startled him, "Oh! By the way, while you and Jeremy were engaged in homosexual coitus, your witchy friend called."

Kol raised an eyebrow. He was so dazed by the lately events, he had completely forgotten why it ever happened in the first place! How could it be? _Well, Jeremy's body holds marvelous powers..._

"Hillary? What did she say?"

"Nothing!" he sent a confused look, she explained herself, "I didn't pick up. I was too scared."

He restrained himself from strangling her and zoomed in the Hall to retrieve his phone instead. He immediately dialed Hillary's number back. She had called three times.

"Kol! Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for hours!"

"Busy! I was gonna call you too. I heard it again."

"What?"

"The voice. Yesterday, I was out in a street to uhm... Well! And I heard it again. It called my name! I was very much awake and Silas tried to get to me again! How is that possible?" he feared he might hyperventilate again.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I've made some research on my own and I don't think it's Silas we're dealing with."

_Oh boy! _"What?"

"Silas' powers are limited. Actually what I found about him is extremely vague but it's highly improbable he can reach you so far from his Tomb. He can only cause hallucinations when he possesses a sample of the person's blood and only in his Tomb area. We don't know where it is, but I'm positive it ain't under a building in Denver! I'm back on the ghost theory."

"But I was awake! How can I hear a ghost while awake?! I am no medium! I can't communicate with the dead."

"I know... I'm confused too..."

"Can't we try to contact them?"

"You do know that witches aren't natural mediums... It's two different things altogether!"

Kol pondered her statement. They needed a medium to try and contact this ghost. The problem was to find said one – and a proper one, not a poser. He was not so sure an add in a paper would come in handy... Hillary probably knew one! Maybe so did he, even... He did know a lot of people... Of course! What an idiot! Jeremy was a medium, was he not?!

"We have one."

"Do we?"

"Yes, Jeremy."

"I thought he was a Hunter..."

"He's also a medium. At least I think he still is one."

"And he would help us because...?"

Kol frowned, here was the catch. Why would Jeremy ever help _him_? Then again, twenty-four hours earlier Kol would have never guessed the boy would let him bugger him on the couch! His frown deepened, his mouth twitched. Jeremy had been oddly comforting when he burst in tears – the memory of _him_ _crying_ made his blood boil with shame – maybe the kid was not so far from his side after all... They did have sex when Jeremy had made it clear it would never happen! Not so much for logic, then!

"Kol? You still there?" Hillary snapped him back to reality.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry I was thinking!" he could probably picture Hillary frowning after hearing _him_ apologize, "Uhm... Anyway... We can give it a shot. He can be quite... Er... surprising... Sometimes his actions make no sense!"

"Yeah, like yours do!"

He glared at her through the phone, "Anyway, I'll go talk to him. When can you be here?"

"As soon as I can. By tomorrow I think..."

"Brilliant! Text me when you're near! See you!"

"Yeah, so long!" she ended the conversation.

He sighed. Now to try and persuade the stubborn little deer! He made his way to the bedroom and knocked. As he did not get any reply, he pushed the door open.

He found the boy curled up around a pillow, his back facing him. _Great! A moping human!_ Just what he needed to bring up the medium topic appropriately!

He cleared his throat but found himself at a loss for words. He had to be extra careful about his choice of words not to freak the kid once more. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to act? Should he inquire about the boy's well being? Should he ignore and directly ask for his help? What would be interpreted as the rudest?

He did not have a clue.

Jeremy half-turned to look at him. His eyes were red and puffy. _Wonderful! He has been crying!_ They began a staring contest. _What to say? What to do?_ Should he keep quiet and comfort him? How did one do that?

Kol felt like an idiot. A lost and confused idiot.

He needed help. He needed Helen.

He frowned and abruptly turned around – ignoring the perplex look the boy sent him – and sprinted toward the living room, almost calling for her out loud.

She was still on the sofa.

"Something's wrong?" she began when she saw him open and close his mouth several times like a fish. When he remained stupidly mute and frozen on his spot, she gave a guess, "Let me guess, you don't know how to start the conversation and you're afraid you will spook him like you always do whenever you open that clever mouth of yours?"

He raised his eyebrows. God, that woman knew him well! "How do you...?"

"My sister has Aspergers too. I know the manual!"

He frowned in confusion, "As what?"

"_The syndrome of Aspergers,_" she explained slowly, "an autism spectrum disorder."

_Again with the Autism thing_! He had to ask Elijah all about it!

"Anyway," she continued when he did not say anything, "Try to be human a little! Don't forget he's young and you have quite the profile of the serial killer... It's not an easy situation, to be infatuated with a monster... Just, be nice. Don't push him. Don't be rude or bold like you usually are. You'll spook him."

Kol gulped and tried to ignore her sharp tongue – which said the truth actually. However, he was faced with a conundrum; she wanted him to be nice. How? Should he go get him flowers or something?

"You can start by making him a cup of tea," she proposed to his silent questioning.

Tea! That sounded like a good idea! He nodded his approval and headed to the kitchen.

"Blood free!" he heard her add from the living room.

Fifteen minutes later, he pushed on the bedroom door, a steaming cup of lavender tea in hand. The boy was still curled up. When he heard Kol, he half-turned toward him and raised his eyebrows in confusion again.

"I made tea," Kol stated awkwardly, presenting his cup to the questioning boy, "It's for you. Helen told me it would be a nice conversation starter."

Jeremy cocked an eyebrow, sniffled and rolled his eyes, amused in spite of himself, "How can you be so dangerous and so cute, all at the same time?" he whispered softly while accepting the burning cup.

Kol frowned. Was it supposed to be a compliment? He brushed it off with a shrug and sat next to the human, close to him. They remained in that position for what felt like hours, stealing glances from time to time. Kol bit his lip, then his nails, then his lip again. Beside him, Jeremy stared down at his cup, probably waiting for the vampire to speak.

"You're okay?" Kol finally asked after debating with himself whether he should inquire about the boy's well being or not.

Jeremy shrugged. It was clear he was not. Kol was going to propose his blood again but he remembered Helen advising not to push the kid. So he did not and silence settled again only to be disturbed by the regular sipping of tea.

"I... er... You're a medium, right?" Kol tried tentatively.

Apparently not tentatively enough for the boy chocked on his tea and began to cough violently. Kol rolled his eyes. Tact was not his middle name.

"Why do you ask?" Jeremy finally croaked when his cough softened.

"Hillary can help me communicate with the owner of the voice I keep hearing but she needs a medium for that..." He looked up to Jeremy, eyes full of hope, _would you help me?_

Jeremy averted his gaze and Kol felt disappointment flutter about his heart.

"Do I have a choice?" he inquired.

Kol frowned, "I'm not going to torture you until you accept..."

Jeremy turned his face toward him, "Won't you, really?"

The vampire shook his head, "I'd never hurt you..." he admitted softly.

Jeremy swallowed and looked at him intensely. A battle seemed to be waging inside his head, "Alright, I'll help you," he finally abdicated.

Kol's heart swelled with happiness, "Brilliant!" he genuinely smiled, Jeremy replied equally although his was weaker.

Sensing the conversation was coming to an end, Kol stood up when a thought crossed his mind, "Oh, by the way!" he began. Jeremy looked up expectantly and Kol imagined his reaction as he finished his sentence in his own head, _"If you ever feel like going for round two, I'll be up and ready for you baby boy!" _followed by a cheesy wink which would have probably made the boy flee to the far end of Antarctica. He grimaced at his own absurdity, "No. Never mind!" he turned around, ignoring the confused look the boy sent him.

_Note to self: make some research about this Aspergers syndrome._

**H.S.Q.M.Y.P**

Laid on his back on the couch – Jeremy shared Helen's bed, a fact Kol tried his utmost not to be jealous about – he tried desperately to ignore the buzzing fear that threatened to encompass his every cell. Originals did not feel fear. Originals were the Kings of the world. He tried to recompose himself and snuggled in the couch to let sleep come over.

He suddenly heard a noise. His heart rhythm quickened significantly and he snapped his eyes open. Nothing. He had probably imagined it.

_Get a grip, for God sake!_

He closed his eyes again and forced himself to calm down. _Think about blood. Think about screams and the smell of fear – not yours!_ His mind filled up with horrifying images and he smiled contently. He slowly drifted off when a sudden crack startled him violently. He checked his surroundings with wild eyes. There was nothing. No voice, no ghost. His heart was beating so loud one could have probably heard it from a distance.

_You were dreaming! Get a grip! Stop acting like a human!_

Once again, he willed himself to sleep only to be disturbed two minutes later by another crack. This time, his brain turned its rational side off and he zoomed to the bedroom as if hit by lightening. Clung to the door he had just forcefully closed behind him, he tried to catch his breath. Jeremy and Helen were sleeping in front of him, each on a side of the bed – fortunately.

His brain was still buzzing with fear. Only one thought ran in his mind: he did not want to be alone. He walked toward the bed and proceeded to lie down before Jeremy who cracked an eye open when he felt his arm being lifted.

"You heard the voice again?" the boy mumbled sleepily.

Kol nodded frantically. How could he admit he had not heard anything relevant and only came due to irrational childish terror without bashing his dignity for good? He settled himself between Jeremy's arms, his back against the boy's chest, his head under his chin. He felt Jeremy sigh and for a moment he feared he might reject him. Fortunately, naught of the sort happened for Jeremy snuggled Kol even closer to him and the vampire purred in bliss.

He had to be upset more often, he decided, if it was what melted the boy's hatred into such maternal devotion!

Just then, completely out of the blue, he remembered exactly where he had seen that redheaded woman; she was a part of the Silas worshipers he had slaughtered eight hundreds years ago.

Hillary argued that Silas did not partake in his current torment. Obviously, Hillary was wrong.

"Just so you know guys," Helen' sleepy voice joined in, cutting him off his thoughts, "I don't do threesomes!"

Jeremy chuckled. Kol smiled.

"But I'm okay to watch," she finished, earning a groan from Jeremy.

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**Ah, Helen! I love her! I know, not much happens in this chapter but I wanted to write something a bit sweeter compared to what is coming next. I hope you liked it! Do not hesitate to give me your opinion! Cheers guys! I just love Kol and Jeremy together! Their amount of perfectness will always amaze me!  
**


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